NIGERIA Post-Disaster Needs Assessment 2012 Floods A 78814 Seychelles Damage, Loss, and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods A report by the Government of Seychelles June 2013 With support from the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Bank With financial support from: Photos: Courtesy of the Government of Seychelles; Isabelle Forge. Design/Layout: miki@ultradesigns.com Disclaimer: (DaLA) report. The boundaries, colors, denominations and any other information shown on this map do not imply, on the part of the World Bank Group, any judgment on the legal status of any territory, or any endorsement of acceptance of such boundaries. © 2013 i Seychelles Damage, Loss, and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods A report by the Government of Seychelles June 2013 With support from the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Bank Panoramic view of Seychelles. Photo: Thinkstock.com On January 27–28, 2013, heavy rains resulting from tropical cyclone Felleng caused severe flooding and landslides in the Seychelles, particularly in three districts on the southeast coast of Mahé (Au Cap, Pointe Larue, and Cascade), as well as on the nearby islands of Praslin and La Digue. iii Foreword T ropical Storm “Felleng�’s proximity to Seychelles on the week of the 27th Janu- ary brought with it heavy rain causing severe flooding in five districts: Anse Aux Pins, Au Cap and Pointe Larue which were declared “disaster zones� and Cas- cade and La Digue island which were also significantly affected. Hundreds of house- holds were affected, dozens of families were displaced, infrastructure was damaged beyond repair and many farms were destroyed. We are grateful that no one was killed or seriously injured from the disaster, but this event was a wakeup call for the entire nation and perhaps a reminder similar to that of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that claimed the lives of three people - a reminder that Seychelles is not safe from disasters. This “Seychelles 2013 Post-Flood Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment� report is proof of Seychelles’ government’s resolve and commitment to ensure the safety and well-being of our people as well as the conservation of endemic flora, fauna and the country’s other limited natural resources. The Seychelles government recognizes the necessity to continuously improve disaster risk reduction and management within our country. We are responsible for safeguarding every individual citizen and visitor to our island nation. This report provides a detailed breakdown of the sectors affected, economic losses and damages, and the equipment and manpower needs to rebuild better and to cre- ate legislation that incorporates disaster risk reduction and management throughout so that we continue to develop into a country that is more resilient to disasters – a disaster-resistant nation safe for all. Pierre Laporte Professor Rolph Payet Minister of Finance Minister of Environment and Energy iv Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Acknowledgments T his report reflects the relief and recovery efforts of the Government of Seychelles to lift the nation out of the economic setbacks, infrastructure destruction and social impact caused by tropical storm “Felleng� which impacted Mahé island the week of January 27, 2013. The Government of Seychelles extends its most profound gratitude to the World Bank for having rapidly sent a team of experts to conduct a “Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment� at the request of H.E Vice President Mr. Danny Faure, in the immediate aftermath of the devastating floods. The report is a joint collaboration of Government of Seychelles and the World Bank. This report has been produced under the guidance of Honorable Pierre Laporte, Minister of Finance, Trade and Investment, Honorable Professor Rolph Payet, Minister of Environment and Energy, Louis Rene Peter Larose, World Bank Alternate Executive Direc- tor, Haleh Bridi, World Bank Country Director for Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros and Seychelles, Jamal Saghir, Director for Sustainable Development for the Africa Region at the World Bank, and Benoit Bosquet, Sector Man- ager for Africa Natural Resources at the World Bank. The report has been produced by a team led Bertrand Belle (Principle Secretary, Ministry of Finance), Wills Agricole (Principle Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Energy) and a team consisting of , Elizabeth Charles (Director General, Ministry of Finance), Paul Labaleine (Director General, DRDM Seychelles), Divina Sabino (Project officer, DRDM Seychelles), supported by a World Bank team led by Jingjie Chu (Natural Resource Economist), Doekle Geert Wielinga (Sr. Disaster Risk Management Specialist), Isabelle Forge (Consultant), Ellen Tynan (Consultant), Isabelle Kane (Disaster Risk Management Specialist), Carl Christian Dingel (Disaster Risk Management Specialist), and Sawkut Rojid (Economist). The authors are grateful to Cliff Alissop, Regina Prosper and Veronique Baker from DRDM for their logistic sup- port, Henriette B. Mampuya and Sajid Anwar from GFDRR for their invaluable comments on an earlier draft of this report and Chalida Chararnsuk from the World Bank for providing excellent administrative support in the process of the assessment and report write up. Last but certainly not least is to acknowledge with much appreciation the crucial role of all individuals from the Ministries, and development organizations such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), World Health Organization (WHO), the European Union (EU), and Seychelles Red Cross that have contributed their syn- ergistic participation during the preparation of this report. The African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (EU) have provided financial support for the Damage and Loss Assessment through the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), in the framework of the ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program. v Table of Contents Foreword....................................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................................... iv Abbreviations.............................................................................................................................................. viii Executive Summary................................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Country Overview.............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Seychelles’ Vulnerability to Natural Hazards and Climate Change............................................................ 1 1.2 Overview of the Disaster......................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 The Immediate Response........................................................................................................................ 2 Chapter 2: Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs............................................................... 5 2.1 Assessment Preparation.......................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Training........................................................................................................................................ 5 2.1.2 Assessment Methodology............................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Assessment by Sectors............................................................................................................................ 7 2.2.1 Infrastructure................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2.2 Productive Sectors........................................................................................................................ 18 2.2.3 Social Sectors............................................................................................................................... 21 2.2.4 Cross-Cutting Sectors................................................................................................................... 28 2.3 Macroeconomic Impact........................................................................................................................... 36 2.3.1 Macroeconomic Impact................................................................................................................ 36 2.3.2 Personal/Household Impact.......................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 3: Conclusion and Recommendations........................................................................... 39 3.1 Damage and Loss Summary.................................................................................................................... 39 3.2 Recovery and Reconstruction Summary................................................................................................... 39 3.3 Seychelles Disaster Resilience Framework................................................................................................ 41 Appendix 1. Satellite Image of Standing Water after the Flood....................................................................... 46 Appendix 2. DaLA Training Attendee List....................................................................................................... 47 Appendix 3. Seychelles’ Vulnerability to Climate Change............................................................................... 48 Appendix 4. Damages and Losses for Police Services...................................................................................... 51 vi Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Appendix 5. Detailed Calculation of Needs for the Education Sector.............................................................. 52 Appendix 6. DRDM Personnel Status............................................................................................................. 53 Appendix 7. Detailed Expenses for DRDM...................................................................................................... 54 Appendix 8. Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT DDO)............... 55 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Estimated Damage and Losses for the Transport/Road Sector..................................................... 8 Table 2.2 Estimated Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Transport/Road Sector............................. 9 Table 2.3 Estimated Damages and Losses for the Water and Sewerage Sector........................................... 11 Table 2.4 Estimated Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Water and Sanitation Sector.................... 13 Table 2.5 Estimated Damages and Losses for the Electricity Sector............................................................. 14 Table 2.6 Estimated Reconstruction Needs for the Electricity Sector........................................................... 14 Table 2.7 Estimated Damages and Losses for the SFRSA............................................................................ 15 Table 2.8 Estimated Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the SFRSA..................................................... 15 Table 2.9 Estimated Damages and Losses for the Police Department......................................................... 15 Table 2.10 Estimated Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Police Department.................................. 16 Table 2.11 Estimated Damage and Losses within SPDF................................................................................ 16 Table 2.12 Estimated Damage and Losses within the SCAA......................................................................... 16 Table 2.13 Estimated Cost of Recovery and Reconstruction Needs within the SCAA (Aviation Sector).......... 17 Table 2.14 Summary of Damage and Losses from the Agriculture Sector..................................................... 19 Table 2.15 Summary of Needs for the Agriculture Sector............................................................................. 19 Table 2.16 Property Value Loss Due to Landslides........................................................................................ 20 Table 2.17 Damages to Agro Industries due to the Flood............................................................................. 21 Table 2.18 Estimated Damages and Losses for the Housing Sector.............................................................. 23 Table 2.19 Summary Needs for the Housing Sector..................................................................................... 24 Table 2.20 Number of Schools and Students in the Seychelles, 2012........................................................... 25 Table 2.21 Damage and Loss Estimates for the Education Sector................................................................. 25 Table 2.22 Needs Estimates for the Education Sector................................................................................... 26 Table 2.23 Cost for Construction of a New School for Pointe Larue Secondary............................................ 26 Table 2.24 Disaster Risks That Schools Are Facing........................................................................................ 27 Table 2.25 Estimated Damage and Losses in the Health Sector.................................................................... 27 Table 2.26 Needs Estimation for a Suspected Dengue Epidemic Contingency Response Plan....................... 28 Table 2.27 Estimation of Damage and Losses for the Environment Sector.................................................... 29 Table 2.28 Proportion of Female-Headed Households by District................................................................. 31 Table 2.29 Expenses Incurred by DRDM during the Flood............................................................................ 34 Table 2.30 Needs for DRDM........................................................................................................................ 35 TABLE OF CONTENTS vii 36 Table 2.31 Summary of Endorsed, Completed, and Ongoing Policies Related to Disaster Risk Management. Table 2.32 Expenditure for ASP................................................................................................................... 36 Table 2.33 Estimation of Income Loss Due to Disease.................................................................................. 37 Table 2.34 Estimation of Income Loss due to Effects of Flood (Women)....................................................... 37 Table 3.1 Summary of Damages and Losses for All Sectors........................................................................ 40 Table 3.2 Summary of Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Seychelles............................................ 42 Table 3.3 Total Damages, Losses, and Needs............................................................................................. 42 List of Figures Figure 1.1 Flood Impact on the Seychelles.................................................................................................. 17 Figure 1.2 Seychelles Maximum Three-Day Consecutive Totals for January between 1972 and 2013........... 18 Figure 2.1 Number of Houses Affect by Flood, by District........................................................................... 22 Figure 3.1 Damage and Losses................................................................................................................... 39 Figure 3.2 Summary of the Total Damage and Losses by Groups................................................................. 39 Figure 3.3 Summary of Total Damage and Losses by Ownership................................................................. 41 Figure A3.1 Satellite Imagery: Active clouds associated wit Tropical Cyclone Felleng Affecting Mahé and some of the Inner Islands on January 28, 2013 ................................................................... 48 Figure A3.2 Time Series of Pointe Larue Monthly Observed Sea-Level Anomaly............................................. 49 Figure A3.3 Time Series of Mahé Island Monthly Sea-Level Anomaly............................................................. 5- viii Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Abbreviations ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific ASP Agency for Social Protection AWS automatic weather stations BBB build back better CPS Civil Protection Section DaLA Damage and Loss Assessment DMP drainage master plan DRDM Division of Risk and Disaster Management EEZ exclusive economic zone GDP gross domestic product GFDRR Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery HFC Housing Finance Company IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development LWMA Landscape and Waste Management Agency MCDSAS Ministry of Community Development, Social Affairs, and Sports MDGs Millennium Development Goals MEE Ministry of Environment and Energy MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MLUH Ministry of Land Use and Habitat MNRI Ministry of Natural Resources and Industry MoE Ministry of Education MoF Ministry of Finance MoH Ministry of Health NBS National Bureau of Statistics NCD noncommunicable disease NDC National Disaster Committee NDRF National Disaster Relief Fund NDRP National Disaster Response Plan NDS National Disaster Secretariat NEOC National Emergency Operations Center NFTF National Flood Task Force NHSF National Health Strategic Framework PMC Property Management Company PUC Public Utilities Corporation RAHSPS Risk Assessment, Hazard Surveillance, and Prevention Section ABBREVIATIONS ix RBC rotating biological contactor RSMC Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre RSPS Research and Special Projects Section SAA Seychelles Agriculture Agency SACOS State Assurance Corporation of Seychelles SCAA Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority SFRSA Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency SIA Seychelles International Airport SLTA Seychelles Land Transport Agency SNMS Seychelles National Meteorological Services SOP standard operating procedure SPDF Seychelles People’s Defense Forces SR Seychelles rupee TEAS Training, Education, and Awareness Section UNDP United Nations Development Programme VEOC Virtual Emergency Operations Center WHO World Health Organization On January 27–28, 2013, heavy rains resulting from tropical cyclone Felleng caused severe flooding and landslides in the Seychelles, particularly in three districts on the southeast coast of Mahé (Au Cap, Pointe Larue, and Cascade), as well as on the nearby islands of Praslin and La Digue. xi Executive Summary Overview On January 27–28, 2013, heavy rains resulting from tropical cyclone Felleng caused severe flooding and landslides in the Seychelles, particularly in three districts on the southeast coast of Mahé (Au Cap, Pointe Larue, and Cascade), as well as on the nearby islands of Praslin and La Digue. The rainfall, which represented 66% of the long-term average and was coming after heavier than normal rains for the month of January, overwhelmed existing natural and constructed drainage systems and retain- ing walls, causing floods, landslides, and rockfalls, and resulting in serious damage to homes and public buildings, roads, bridges, drainage systems, water and sanitation systems, crops, and farms. The islands of the archipelago of the Seychelles are generally low-lying (2–6 meters above sea level on average), with the topography of Mahé dominated by a central mountainous ridge with steep slopes on both sides running down to a narrow coastal plateau. Consequently, infrastructure on Mahé, as well as on Praslin and La Digue, is concentrated on the lower slopes and coastal plateau. These patterns of develop- ment, along with the geomorphology of the islands and their location, make the is- lands vulnerable to a variety of natural hazards, including the flooding and landslides that impacted the country in late January. The government responded rapidly to both the threat and the results of the heavy rains in January, issuing the first warning to the public on January 25, 2013. The government declared the three hardest-hit districts disaster zones, opened the Emergency Operations Center, and mobilized emergency first responders. Relief efforts were also generally well executed, with displaced individuals housed rapidly and key infrastructure (major drains and roads) on Mahé and La Digue pumped and cleared within days of the floods. President James Michel called an extraordinary Cabinet session in response to the floods, and quickly instituted a National Flood Task Force (NFTF), a high-level coordination body to ensure the effective and effi- cient response for the postflood needs. In addition, a National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) was established to assist with relief and recovery operations (over US$3.1 million has been raised to date). The NFTF is the approving and management body for the relief fund. Flood Impact Summary The impact of the flooding and landslides was exacerbated due to the combination of both natural and anthropogenic causes. The greater than average rains had re- sulted in heavily saturated soils, but vulnerability was also increased due to a pattern xii Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods of noncompliance with existing building and land use 104 million (US$8.4 million), equivalent to 0.77% of regulations, resulting in, inter alia, increased siltation of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Most of natural drainage, increased runoff, and poorly sited con- the flood damage was sustained by the infrastruc- struction. ture sector (38%), followed by the productive sector (26%), the social sectors (24%), the cross-cutting sec- Utilizing the Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) tors (5%), the fiscal budget (4%), and personal income methodology (after receiving training from the World (3%) (see Figure 1). Bank team), the various government departments in- volved have been able to aggregate key data and un- As is to be expected, the proportion of damage versus derstand the full impact of the flood in terms of both losses is greatest in the infrastructure sector and about damages (impact on physical infrastructure) and losses equal in the productive and social sectors. The propor- (economic impact). Data gathering and analysis of flood tion of losses versus damage was greatest in the area impact were conducted for the following overarching of personal income, the environment sector, and other sectors: (i) infrastructure—transport/roads, electricity, line ministries (see Figure 2). water supply and sanitation, and fire, police, and avia- tion; (ii) productive—agriculture and agro-industries; Given the heavy impact on infrastructure, the public (iii) social—housing, health, and education; and (iv) sector bore the brunt of the disaster with 70% of dam- cross-cutting—environment, gender, and disaster risk age and losses, versus 30% for the private sector. management. An analysis of the macroeconomic im- pact of the event was carried out as well. The following table summarizes the damage and losses for all affected sectors: According to the summary of the data reported from each affected sector, the January 2013 disaster in the Among the subsectors, the transport/roads subsector Seychelles resulted in total damage and losses of SR was the most affected (35.1%), followed by agricul- Figure 1: Summary of the data reported from Figure 2: proportion of losses versus damage each affected sector (million SR) 40 Cross-cutting Fiscal budget Personal income 5,084,414 4,351,567 2,506,586 5% 4% 3% 30 Infrasructure 39,592,391 n Loss Million SR Social sectors 38% n Damage 25,426,880 24% 20 10 Productive sectors 27,532,008 26% 0 re e r ng t e to ge tiv m tu tti ec co ud uc uc cu ls in od lb sr s- cia al fra ca Pr os on So Fis In Cr rs Pe EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xiii Disaster effects (SR) Disaster effects (US$) Subsector, component Damage Losses Total Damage Losses Total Social sectors 15,231,910 10,194,970 25,426,880 1,218,553 815,598 2,034,150 Housing 12,186,910 2,534,970 14,721,880 974,953 202,798 1,177,750 Education 2,545,000 660,000 3,205,000 203,600 52,800 256,400 Health 500,000 7,000,000 7,500,000 40,000 560,000 600,000 Productive sectors 14,152,541 13,379,467 27,532,008 1,132,203 1,070,357 2,202,561 Agriculture 9,706,788 8,129,467 17,836,255 776,543 650,357 1,426,900 Industry 4,445,753 — 4,445,753 355,660 — 355,660 Land use — 5,250,000 5,250,000 — 420,000 420,000 Tourism —  — — — — — Infrastructure 36,217,940 3,374,451 39,592,391 2,897,435 267,076 3,167,391 Transport/roads 34,600,000 2,050,000 36,650,000 2,768,000 164,000 2,932,000 Aviation 20,000 — 20,000 1,600 — 1,600 Electricity 25,000 200,000 225,000 2,000 16,000 18,000 Water supply/sewerage/sanitation 985,000 750,000 1,735,000 78,800 60,000 138,800 Police Department 156,300 — 156,300 12,504 — 12,504 People’s Defense Forces (SPDF—Army) — 36,000 36,000 — — — Fire Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) 431,640 338,451 770,091 34,531 27,076 61,607 Cross-cutting sectors — 5,084,414 5,084,414 — 406,753 406,753 Disaster risk management — 620,139 620,139 — 49,611 49,611 Environment — 4,464,275 4,464,275 — 357,142 357,142 Personal income loss — 2,506,586 2,506,586 — 200,527 200,527 Due to disease — 2,410,515 2,410,515 — 192,841 192,841 Cottage business — 96,071 96,071 — 7,686 7,686 Fiscal budget — 4,351,567 4,351,567 — 348,125 348,125 Agency for Social Protection (ASP) — 3,271,567 3,271,567 — 261,725 261,725 Ministry of Land and Housing — 480,000 480,000 — 38,400 38,400 District administration — 600,000 600,000 — 48,000 48,000 Total 65,602,391 38,409,888 104,493,846 5,248,191 3,108,436 8,359,508 ture (17.1%), housing (14.1%), health (7.2%), land Initial government expenditures included first assistance use (5%), and environment and industry (both 4.3%). to the neediest individuals and families by the Agency for Social Protection (ASP); emergency assistance pro- The macroeconomic impact of the flood will take lon- vided by the Ministry of Land and Housing (MLUH) and ger to become apparent. However, initial reports indi- the Seychelles Land and Transport Authority (SLTA); and, cate that the immediate fiscal impact of the disaster at the district level, the District Administrators have in- was approximately SR 4 million (0.03 percent of GDP curred an expenditure of SR 0.6 million for similar activi- or 0.08 of the recurrent budget). The increased ex- ties. The total of SR 4.35 million of the fiscal budget loss penditures were accommodated by making use of the has been reflected in the summary table above. government’s budget framework, as no allocation with respect to natural calamities was made to the budget- While the Central Bank of Seychelles maintains its ed contingency fund of SR 50 million. tight monetary policy, inflation rate increased by 3 ba- xiv Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods sis points in February (from 5.9 in January to 6.2 in acquisition of additional maintenance equipment. In February). This is a result of an increase in price indices disaster risk management, it could include additional across the board. While this increase may be associ- investments in technology and infrastructure to ensure ated with the disaster, it may also be the effect of the that essential communications and safeguarding of citi- Value Added Tax system introduced in January 2013. zens can continue in times of disaster. While merchandise trade cannot be measured due to limited information, tourism seems to be unaffected, Given the overall excellent and rapid response of the with tourist arrivals continuing to increase, at an aver- government to the disaster, many of the short-term age of 15 percent above the same period of 2012. recovery (and reconstruction) needs have been or are being addressed by government. For the medium- and long-term needs, it will be essential for the government Recovery and Reconstruction Priorities to take a broader view of disaster risk management for While the total damage and losses for the Seychelles the country, including actions and budget allocations amount to SR 104 million (US$8.4 million), recovery and that mitigate future risk in all sectors. reconstruction needs are estimated at SR 379 million (US$30.3 million) (see the table below). This estimate The calamities wrought by the January floods reflect costs for both the initial recovery and reconstruc- offer an important window of opportunity to tion needs, as well as the costs of “building back bet- address difficult development issues. A robust ter� (BBB) and mainstreaming disaster risk management recovery and reconstruction framework is therefore throughout key sectors to reduce future disaster impacts proposed to provide a sequenced, prioritized, program- and avoid future costs. In the education sector, for ex- matic, yet flexible action plan to guide the recovery ample, this approach would recommend the re-siting of and reconstruction process that is anchored in flood the Pointe Larue School to a location less vulnerable to risk management, based upon the following recom- future floods. In the transport sector, it could include mendations (with more explanation in the text below): Needs for recovery and reconstruction (SR) Subsector, component Recovery Reconstruction Total Available Gap Social sectors 9,998,041 160,597,654 170,595,695 — 170,595,695 Housing 9,338,041 60,206,590 69,544,631 — 69,544,631 Education 660,000 89,345,000 90,005,000 — 90,005,000 Health — 11,803,180 11,803,180 — 11,803,180 Productive sectors 8,129,467 9,708,788 17,838,255 1,909,434 15,928,821 Agriculture 8,129,467 9,708,788 17,838,255 1,909,434 15,928,821 Infrastructure sectors 52,457,940 117,011,000 169,468,940 — 169,468,940 Transport/roads 48,600,000 42,900,000 91,500,000 — 91,500,000 Aviation 20,000 706,000 726,000 — 726,000 Electricity — 20,000,000 20,000,000 — 20,000,000 Water supply/sewerage/sanitation 3,250,000 48,005,000 51,255,000 — 51,255,000 Police Department 156,300 5,400,000 5,556,300 — 5,556,300 Fire Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) 431,640 — 431,640 — 431,640 Cross-cutting sectors — — 20,214,000 18,000,000 2,214,000 Division of Risk and Disaster — — 20,214,000 18,000,000 2,214,000 Management (DRDM) Total (SR) 70,585,448 288,074,558 378,874,006 19,909,434 358,964,572 Total (US$) 5,646,836 23,046,965 30,309,920 1,592,755 28,717,166 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xv ■■ Inclusion of flood risk management into national regu- communication strategy development and training lations, policies, and investments for flood prevention of community-level first responders ■■ Development of a risk-based national flood man- ■■ Conduct institutional function review related to di- agement strategy saster risk management ■■ Prior assessment of flood risk and vulnerability ■■ Identify legal gaps in national flood policies and laws ■■ Ensuring a balance between structural and non- ■■ Prepare and disseminate information on cost-effec- structural control measures tive flood proofing techniques ■■ Strengthening of institutional emergency coordina- ■■ Review opportunities for flood risk financing tion at the government and community level and emergency preparedness and response ■■ Risk transfer and insurance mechanisms Medium- to Long-Term Actions (1–5 years) Action Plan ■■ Prepare an integrated national disaster risk manage- In the body of the report, short-, medium-, and long- ment plan ■■ Adopt revised flood management legal framework term recommendations are included for each sector in ■■ Invest in essential infrastructure for maintenance of their respective chapters. However, the following rec- ommendations, while not exhaustive, attempt to sum- transport/roads, including an upgrade of bitumen marize and prioritize recommended actions based on plant(s) an overall understanding of the impact of the floods ■■ Relocate key public buildings to higher ground (e.g., and landslides from the events of January 2013, as well Pointe Larue School) as the need to reduce risk in the future. ■■ Conduct an assessment of the level of integration of disaster risk measures, particularly regarding climate change adaptation, into the current sectoral plans Short-Term Actions (1 year) ■■ Develop new risk-based building codes and strength- ■■ Repair and clean up the damaged houses and infra- en training and enforcement structure, including roads, drainages, schools, police ■■ Prepare floodplain land use guidelines and laws, im- station, and recover agriculture production plement and enforce preventive land use plans ■■ Conduct a workshop to assess the effectiveness, ■■ Mainstream disaster risk management in all sectoral efficiency, strengths, and weaknesses of the Janu- management plans, particularly urban development ary flood response system with all the stakeholders and land management (the current land use zoning and make improvements for the national response plan can be potentially updated after the geological mechanism risk survey is completed) ■■ Conduct a vulnerability assessment of existing infra- ■■ Prepare a report on the economic evaluation of eco- structure, such as bridges, roads, channels, and solid system services, particularly with regard to vulner- waste management plants ability related to climate change ■■ To reduce risk of flooding, ■■ Identify capacity gaps and provide tailored training • Develop or update the drainage master plan for for staff in key ministries in disaster risk manage- each district for flood-prone areas ment and response • Ensure the effectiveness of operation and ■■ Establish additional meteorological stations outside maintenance of drainage network, as well as the flood-prone area efficient coordination between agencies ■■ Strengthen disaster monitoring and early warning ■■ Develop national multirisk mapping, including flood, systems landslide, rockslide, mudslide ■■ Raise awareness of flood risks and vulnerabilities ■■ Develop a community emergency response plan, ■■ Implement risk financing mechanisms with incen- contingency, and evacuation toolkits, including tives for compliance with flood control The Seychelles’ location, topography, and landscape make the country vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, including tropical cyclones, tsunamis, storm surge, extreme rainfall, flooding, landslides, rockslides, and forest fires—most of which are likely to be exacerbated by the effects of climate change. 1 CHAPTER 1: Country Overview 1.1 Seychelles’ Vulnerability to Natural Hazards and Climate Change The Seychelles archipelago comprises 115 islands extending over approximately 1,374 square kilometers (including its exclusive economic zone [EEZ]) in the Indian Ocean between 4 and 9 degrees south of the equator and about 1500 km east of mainland Africa. Over 85% of the country’s population (87,400) resides on Mahé, the largest island in the country (148 sq. km), with most of the remaining population residing on the islands of Praslin and La Digue, both of which lie less than 45 km from Mahé. The topography of Mahé consists of a central mountainous ridge with steep slopes on both sides running down to a narrow coastal plateau. On Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue, most development, including tourism, transport, and housing, is located in the plateau area. The islands are generally low-lying with an average of 2–6 m above sea level. The Seychelles’ location, topography, and landscape make the country vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, including tropical cyclones, tsunamis, storm surge, extreme rainfall, flooding, landslides, rockslides, and forest fires—most of which are likely to be exacerbated by the effects of climate change. The country is tectonically inactive, so earthquake is not seen as a risk. No seismic activity has been recorded since the in- stallation of the country’s seismological station in 1995. The adverse effects of climate change and sea-level rise present significant risks to the sustainable development of the Seychelles. Vulnerability characteristics such as the concentration of development on the narrow coastal zones, vulnerable populations, and ecosystems make the Sey- chelles extremely sensitive to climate change and its associated impacts. The impact of climate change as a result of sea-level rise, storm and tidal surges, and changes in rainfall patterns as well as increased coral bleaching events are likely to have serious consequences to livelihoods in the long term. The effects of climate change on tour- ism are expected to be largely negative. Adaptation to adverse impacts of climate change and sea-level rise remains a major priority for the Seychelles. The main issues relating to climate change are the following: ■■ More extreme weather events. Although the Seychelles has been relatively protected from tropical cyclones due to its location, some trends indicate the possibility that the cyclone belt and risk area is widening in the Indian Ocean, potentially putting the Seychelles’ region in a more favorable position for cyclonic development. Data also shows that for the majority of the El Niño/La Niña cases, an extreme weather event occurred over the Seychelles. With global warming, El Niño may collude with the Indian Ocean Dipole and other phenomena to cause extreme impacts. ■■ Sea-level rise. Major economic activities, development, and infrastructure located along the coastal plains and reclaimed land makes the Seychelles highly vulnerable to sea-level rise; this will have serious consequences to livelihoods as a result of coastal erosion and flooding. 2 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods ■■ Changes in rainfall pattern/distribution. It is ous damages to houses, roads, bridges, the drainage important to note that although the Seychelles system, and farms caused by flood, landslides, and received excessive rains during the rainy season, rockslides. Due to the fact that the rainfall was above water scarcity remains one of the most significant normal, other districts of Mahé, as well as Praslin and challenges for the country, which experienced low La Digue, were also affected (figure 1.1). rainfall in the previous dry season. Climate change scenarios for the Seychelles indicate that rainy Multiple causes potentially led to the January disas- seasons are like to become wetter and dry seasons ter. Firstly, the records show that rainfall for January drier. The country is already experiencing a change 2013 hit a historical high, with a total amount of 871 in rainfall distribution—from more moderate rainfall mm—twice as much as the monthly average of 400 over a two-to-three-day period to heavy, short-lived mm. Secondly, the three consecutive days of January rainfall. This latter pattern is capable of causing flash 26–28, 2013 (during tropical depression Felleng), had floods over low-lying areas, yet is not sufficient (nor the highest rainfall ever recorded, over 330 mm, sig- steady enough) for the best natural irrigation for nificantly higher than the other maximum three-day agriculture or for water supply needs. rainfall (figure 1.2). ■■ Coastal inundation and erosion: Studies have shown Thirdly, the rains coincided with a high tide, which did that the country is already experiencing impacts due not allow drainage canals to deposit floodwater from to both natural disturbance and human activities, the plains into the sea. The poor state of some existing and with climate change and sea-level rise the drainage facilities also contributed to the floods, as did damages will not only increase, but will also become the high saturation levels of the soil due to earlier rains more severe. in the weeks preceding the tropical depression. 1.2 Overview of the Disaster Based on a preliminary UN satellite image analysis, by On January 25, 2013, the Seychelles National Meteo- February 16, 2013, there were still 28 separate standing rological Services (SNMS) reported that the Seychelles water bodies, totaling 41,025 square meters and aver- would be within the coverage area of active clouds as- aging 1,465 square meters in size (see appendix 1). sociated with tropical depression Felleng from Monday, January 28 to Tuesday, January 29. The SNMS made 1.3 The Immediate Response a presentation to the National Disaster Committee (NDC) members, including different outcome models Advisories and Warnings. The Early Warning Cen- for the hazardous weather. In addition, the public was ter at the Seychelles National Meteorological Service informed of the upcoming weather by SNMS and Divi- (SNMS) issued nine advisories and warnings during the sion of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM) through disaster to warn people of the ongoing heavy rains the local media. The hazardous weather began a day and of locations that were considered dangerous. earlier than expected and the tropical depression was Members of the public were advised to remain in their already causing damage by the time the first bulletin homes and refrain from making any trips except those was issued by the Regional Specialized Meteorological that were essential, in order to avoid unnecessary road Centre (RSMC) La Reunion/Météo-France on the morn- blockage or accidents that could have hampered the ing of January 27. assistance being provided by the Emergency Services. Members of the public were also advised to use the La Total rainfall recorded for January 27 and 28 amounted Misere route due to congestion on the east coast road. to 263 mm, representing 66% of the long-term av- Additional staff and volunteers were mobilized to as- erage of 400 mm per month. Three districts on the sess cases throughout Mahé, aside from the resources southeast coast of Mahé (Au Cap, Pointe Larue, and being given to the three districts in the east that had Cascade) were declared disaster zones due to seri- been most affected. CHAPTER 1 COUNTRY OVERVIEW 3 Figure 1.1 Flood Impact on the Seychelles Source: EID Section, MEE, February 2013. Figure 1.2 Seychelles Maximum Three-Day Consecutive Totals for January between 1972 and 2013 350 325 300 275 250 225 Amount in mm 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Source: Meteorological Services 2013. 4 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods National Flood Task Force (NFTF). President James National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF). President Michel convened an extraordinary Cabinet meeting to James Michel also set up a National Disaster Relief review the situation on the ground. He informed the Fund (NDRF) in order to raise funds both locally and Cabinet of Ministers that the situation warranted es- internationally (for both monetary and in-kind contri- tablishing a National Flood Task Force (NFTF) to enable butions) for the families who were left without a home high-level coordination among ministries and agencies during the floods, those who will need to repair their and to mitigate the impact of any possible secondary homes, as well as for the surrounding infrastructure. disasters. It is also the approving and management A transparent procedure was established and is be- body for the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF). With ing implemented by the Fund such that all donations the high-level involvement, it was designed to be ef- can be reviewed online (http://www.egov.sc/ndrf/). fective and efficient. The task force was composed of: By March 8, 2013, a total amount of SR 39,640,403 (US$3,171,242) had been raised. The Fund is being uti- ■■ Mr. Vincent Meriton, the designated Minister, lized for disaster recovery and reconstruction. also the Minister of Social Affairs, Community Development, and Sport; National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC). The NEOC was activated with all staff called in to ■■ Professor Rolph Payet, Minister of Environment and DRDM. Calls received during the disaster effectively Energy; overloaded the DRDM lines. To address this, hotline ■■ Mr. Christian Lionnet, Minister of Land Use and numbers were increased from 2 to 4 for public calls Habitat; and to 10 lines for key first responders, and private and parastatal sectors. A total of 14 fixed phone numbers ■■ Mr. Denis Rose, the Principal Secretary for Community were used throughout the disaster. To help with data Development; collection and phone logging, the Ministry of Environ- ■■ Mr. Steve Fanny, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of ment’s various departments sent staff members they Finance; could spare to handle calls. (All staff involved in the disaster was on call and had standard government- ■■ Ms. Marie-Antoinette Rose, head of government issued mobile numbers paid under the budget of their business in the National Assembly; departments/divisions.) ■■ Mr. Parinda Herath, the chief executive of the Seychelles Land Transport Agency; However, there were not enough staff in the Ministry to take up all the required posts. Therefore, available ■■ Mr. Marc Naiken, chief executive officer (CEO) of the staff had to work over the maximum allowed compul- Seychelles Agriculture Agency; and sory working hours of 12 hours per shift. During the ■■ Representatives of the Red Cross, Public Heath, and disaster, most staff also had fewer than 4 hours off Ministry of Foreign Affairs. between shifts. Government’s response to the disaster, including that of DRDM and the emergency services was, for the most part, rapid and effective. n 5 CHAPTER 2: Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 2.1 Assessment Preparation After the disaster of January 27–29, the government conducted an initial assessment of damages totaling approximately US$9.3 million. This early assessment of needs pointed to resources needed for the rehabilitation of infrastructure, houses, schools and other public buildings, as well as for support in the water and sanitation sector and food security. In a letter to the World Bank from January 31, 2013, HE the Vice President of the Seychelles requested the World Bank to help the government on the Damage and Loss Assessment and to support reconstruction efforts in the country. In response to the government’s request, the World Bank assembled a team of experts arriving in the country on February 18, 2013, to assist the country in the formulation of a Postdisaster Needs Assessment through training and utilization of the Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) methodology in order to calculate damages and losses, as well as the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the disaster. 2.1.1 Training ■■ To support capacity building within the country for postdisaster needs assessment, a one-day training on the Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) methodology was organized following consultations with the line ministries of the most affected sectors: land management, agriculture, transport, housing, education, health, environment, and community development (see appendix 1). The one-day workshop, held on Friday, February 22, 2013, presented the DaLA methodology to the various partners. Thirty-seven participants attended the training, including officials of the ministries (the Ministries of Finance [MoF], Land Use and Habitat [MLUH], Education [MoE], Health [MoH], Community Development, Social Affairs, and Sports [MCDSAS], Environment and Energy [MEE], Foreign Affairs [MFA], Natural Resources and Industry [MNRI], National Bureau of Statistics [NBS], Sey- chelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency [SFRSA], Seychelles Land Transport Agency [SLTA], Seychelles Public Defense Force [SPDF]), representatives of the private sector, and experts from UN agencies (Public Utilities Corporation [PUC], SACOS Insurance Company, Harry Savy insurance company, United Nations Development Programme [UNDP], and World Health Organization [WHO]). Two ministers attended the opening ceremony to support the training. ■■ The training focused on understanding the DaLA methodology and exchanging information among the different stakeholders concerned with the January floods. Participants were given the opportunity to work as groups in quantifying the 6 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods damage and losses under three main themes: the ■■ Losses are defined as the changes in the flows of infrastructure sector, productive sectors, and cross- goods and services that will not be forthcoming in cutting sectors (disaster risk management, gender, the affected area until full economic recovery and and environment). Baseline data were assembled reconstruction has been achieved. They include from reports and assessments provided by the production of goods and services that will not be principal officers from different sectors. In the final obtained or provided, higher costs of operation session of the training, each group presented their and production, and the cost of the humanitarian/ main findings and significant data gaps. emergency assistance activities. Losses are expressed in current values. ■■ The training assisted participants in distinguishing the calculation of damages from those of losses (usually Once all sectors have been assessed in terms of dam- economic flow), as well as in estimating the disaster age and losses, the results are aggregated to obtain impact and identifying reconstruction (corresponding the total amount of disaster effects, ensuring that no to damage) and recovery (corresponding to losses) double counting or major gaps exist. The impact on needs. postdisaster macroeconomic performance is calculated based on damage and losses and using the forecasted 2.1.2 Assessment Methodology performance for the current year. It includes possible slowdown of gross domestic production (GDP), de- The DaLA methodology calculates the damage and terioration of the balance of payments and of fiscal losses as well as the social, economic, and environ- sector position, as well as an increase in inflation. It mental impacts of a disaster. The methodology was also includes decline in personal or household living developed by the United Nations Economic Commis- conditions (livelihoods and income), possible increase sion for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC) in costs of living, as well as poverty aggravation from in the 1970s, and has been continuously revised and the resulting losses caused by the disaster. customized for World Bank use in different regions of the world. The DaLA provides a close approximation of Finally, needs can be defined for postdisaster short-, damages to assets and losses to the economic flows, medium-, and long-term activities, such as: and summarizes total macroeconomic impacts. This constitutes the basis for evaluating the negative impact ■■ Recovery needs: estimated on the basis of the financial on individual and household income and on the global resources required for rehabilitation of basic services, population welfare and for formulating a recovery and reactivation of productive activities, or immediate reconstruction framework. reactivation of personal or household income; or ■■ Reconstruction needs: estimated as the requirements The DaLA methodology uses the country’s system of na- for financing reconstruction and replacement or tional accounts and involves all macroeconomic sectors repairing of the physical assets that were destroyed including productive (agriculture, tourism, commerce, by the disaster. and industries), infrastructure (transportation, electric- ity, communication, and water supply and sanitation), In the recovery/reconstruction plan, these figures also social (housing, education, and health), as well as cross- include a BBB strategy to consider quality improve- cutting issues (e.g., the environment and gender). ments and disaster risk reduction measures to be im- plemented in order to increase resilience against future ■■ Damage is defined as the monetary value of fully disasters. or partially destroyed assets. It is initially assumed that assets will be replaced to the same condition— All the following calculations are based on the ex- in quantity and quality—that they had prior to the change rate of 1 SR = US$0.08 based on February 26, disaster. 2013, rates. CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 7 2.2 Assessment by Sectors Praslin—30 years old) and other machinery, such as asphalt pavers and rollers. The asphalt plants are old ■■ The following report is based on the new estimation and require regular major maintenance works that are from each sector following the same template and quite costly, since they require spare parts and mechan- the same DaLA methodology. It will be presented by ical expertise from overseas. Raw materials such as ag- sectors under categories of Infrastructure, Productive gregates and sand are available locally, but bitumen, Sectors, Social Sectors, and Cross-Cutting Sectors. which is the main component of asphalt, needs to be imported from overseas. 2.2.1 Infrastructure Impact of the Floods 2.2.1.1 Transport/Roads The road network was badly affected during the several Overview days of heavy rainfall associated with the cyclone Fel- leng. The main roads along the east coast in low-lying The road network in the Seychelles comprises primary, areas of the three disaster zones and some stretches secondary, and feeder roads. There are approximately along the Cascade road were completely flooded and 500 km of roads, of which 250 km are primary roads, had to be closed for several hours. It should be noted 150 km are secondary roads, and 100 km are feeder that heavy rainfall was experienced throughout the roads. The primary road network connects the main country and many other districts experienced floods, economic centers and also the different districts of the although to a lesser degree compared to the above- country separately on the three main islands of Mahé, mentioned districts. Approximately 18 km (5 km of Praslin, and La Digue. The secondary and feeder roads primary roads, 10 km of secondary roads, and 3 km of provide connectivity to the primary road network and feeder roads) of the road network was damaged due access to smaller rural communities. The roads are to the flood. The damages ranged from the stripping constructed using either an asphalt concrete wearing off of the asphalt-wearing course and formation of course or fully concrete surface. Due to the mountain- potholes to damages to bridges, culverts, and retain- ous nature of the country, much of the road network ing structures. consists of steep winding roads with high embank- ments both above and below the roads. Recovery Initiatives The Seychelles Land Transport Agency (SLTA) is respon- During the disaster period, SLTA mobilized all available sible for maintaining the road network, but not for staff and equipment to attend to various emergency situations and liaised closely with DRDM and other the roadside drains, which are the responsibility of the government agencies and the district authorities to en- Landscape and Waste Management Agency (LWMA) sure that the roads were cleared to facilitate the move- under the MEE. (Costs incurred for clearing of drains ment of vehicles and pedestrians safely, especially to and channels are included under “Environment� be- facilitate the mobility of the emergency vehicles during low.) The mission of the SLTA is to provide and man- that period. Road blockages were mainly caused by age land transport infrastructure and related services in an efficient, safe, reliable, and sustainable manner by ■■ Landslides onto the road: These were removed, implementing the national land transportation plans to mostly using machinery. Some were only partly meet the growing needs of the Seychellois society. removed, since the embankments were still unstable and could have slid further if disturbed. In order to undertake the construction and mainte- nance of the road network, the SLTA contracts out civil ■■ Boulders from the embankments that ended works and undertakes asphalting works internally. The up on the road and in drains: These were either equipment available internally includes two asphalt- pushed to the side (manually or with machinery) or producing plants (on Mahé—20 years old—and on demolished and removed. 8 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods During the emergency and recovery phases, SLTA over- be completely overlaid within the next 18 months saw several types of interventions: clearing works to re- (estimated cost = SR 16,000,000). move landslide debris and fallen trees from the road and ■■ Construction of retaining walls. There are many the drains; demolishing of parapet/roadside walls to cre- locations where it is critical that retaining walls be ate openings for water evacuation; excavating new wa- constructed to protect the road and surrounding ter channels; as well as some temporary works to fix the private or public properties. These retaining surface of roads. Some of the works were undertaken structures should be designed and submitted to using the resources (human and machinery) available at the planning authority for approval to implement SLTA (Mahé and Praslin), while others were undertaken (estimated cost = SR 12,000,000). by available private civil and maintenance contractors. ■■ Rehabilitation of damaged bridges. There are two The total damages and losses in the road sector are bridges that need to be rehabilitated as soon as estimated at SR 34,600,000 and SR 2,050,000, respec- possible. These have been damaged due to the force tively (table 2.1). of the floodwater and are posing a certain degree of risk of collapse. Several culverts were also damaged Proposed Recovery Plan (estimated cost = SR 2,600,000). Additional works to resurface damaged roads and re- ■■ Construction of emergency drain channels, to inforce safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians are allow floodwater to recede into the sea faster. The needed in the short term (6–12 months), while the temporary channels constructed during the flooding overall sector needs to address additional challenges in need to be properly constructed until a more terms of resilience to disaster risks in the longer term. permanent solution is found. Estimated cost = SR 2,000,000. In order to restore normalcy and repair the damage to ■■ Conducting a detailed drainage study for the whole the roads, the following short-term (1-year) priority ac- country and identifying viable solutions, to eliminate tions have been identified (table 2.2). or mitigate similar floods. Estimated cost = SR 500,000. ■■ Resurfacing the severely damaged sections of the road network. Some potholing work is already ■■ Conducting a detailed scientific study of the culverts, being undertaken regularly; however, this is only a bridges, roads, and the surrounding embankments temporary solution, and many of these roads must and retaining structures, to come up with a Table 2.1 Estimated Damage and Losses for the Transport/Road Sector Damages or Types of Sector losses infrastructure Description Km/no. Cost (SR) Total (SR) Primary 5 9,000,000 Roads (km) Secondary 10 18,000,000 Damages Feeder 3 5,000,000 34,600,000 Land transport Bridges (no.) Cascade 2 2,000,000 Culverts (no.) Mandarin Estate 5 600,000 Emergency Works — 2,000,000 Losses works 2,050,000 Overtime — 50,000 Source: Seychelles Land Transport Agency, 2013 Note: — = not applicable. CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 9 Table 2.2 Estimated Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Transport/Road Sector Needs for recovery and reconstruction Financing needs Financing (transport/road sector) (SR) available (SR) Financing gap (SR) Timeframe Recovery 48,600,000 0 48,600,000 Short term 32,600,000 0 32,600,000 Resurfacing of damaged roads  16,000,000  0  16,000,000 6 to 18 months Construction of retaining walls  12,000,000  0  12,000,000 1 year Rehabilitation of damaged bridges and culverts 2,600,000 0 2,600,000 6 months Construction of emergency drain channels 2,000,000 0 2,000,000 6 months Medium to long term  16,000,000  0  16,000,000 Resurfacing of damaged roads  16,000,000  0  16,000,000 18–36 months Reconstruction 42,900,000 0 42,900,000 Short term 900,000 0 900,000 Drainage study 500,000 0 500,000 6 months Study of the culverts, bridges, roads 400,000 0 400,000 6 months Medium to long term 42,000,000 0 42,000,000 Procurement of adequate road maintenance equipment  30,000,000  0  30,000,000 1–2 years Construction of retaining walls  12,000,000  0  12,000,000 1–3 years TOTAL 91,500,000 0 91,500,000  1–3 year Source: SLTA, 2013. rehabilitation, mitigation, and protection scheme. service provider in the Seychelles for the provision of Estimated cost = SR 400,000. electricity, water, and sanitation services, with its mis- sion focused on the following: Actions needed for the medium- and long-term recon- struction phase (beyond 1 year) include the following: ■■ To provide an efficient, safe, and reliable supply of electricity and treated water. ■■ Procure adequate road maintenance equipment such as asphalt plants (2), and other machinery such ■■ To treat and dispose of wastewater while paying due as excavators (2), an excavator/digger (1), a road regard to the environment and customers’ interest. grader (1), a milling machine (1), small rollers (2), and ■■ To keep up with changes in technology to improve a large roller (1). Estimated cost = SR 30,000,000. services. ■■ Implement the proposals made from the studies and The Water and Sewerage Division within the PUC is re- resulting plans proposed above. sponsible for the production and distribution of treated ■■ Construct additional retaining walls to protect roads. water on the islands of Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, and Estimated cost = SR 12,000,000. the Inner Islands. The provision for sanitation services is also provided for Mahé Island only, in the form of four isolated sewage treatment plant systems, namely 2.2.1.2 Water Supply and Sanitation Victoria, Beau Vallon, Pointe Larue, and Anse Aux Pins (Chetty Flats) sewerage systems. Overview The Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), which reports The core activities of the Water and Sewerage Division to the Ministry of Energy and Environment, is the main are: 10 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods ■■ Collection/production, treatment, and quality Aux Pins (Chetty Flat) sewerage plant was flooded. The control of water sea outfall pump and its accessories were submerged under water. Muddy water infiltrated the main rotating ■■ Transmission and distribution of treated water biological contactor (RBC) where the aerobic treatment ■■ Operation and maintenance of treatment plants takes place. At the Pointe Larue sewerage system, the and water networks floods impacted mainly the sewerage networks. All 400 manholes were subjected to very high inflows, ■■ Managing the water resources during the drought with debris causing pipe blockages, damages, and season wastewater overflows. The walls of 125 manholes in ■■ Managing the sewerage networks and plants the upper region of Nageon Estate (Pointe Larue) were The main constraints reported by the Water and Sew- severely weakened by the flash floods. erage Division regarding the water and sanitation sec- tors are (i) the inadequate raw water storage capacity Recovery Initiatives on the three main islands, (ii) the continuous change The PUC technical team was called in on Sunday, Janu- in weather patterns increasing the dry periods and the ary 27, 2013, to respond to the damages and block- operational cost of water supply due to production by ages of the water and sewerage infrastructure around desalination plants, (iii) the islands’ topography mak- Mahé, in particular in the flooded areas. Two water ing it costly and challenging to distribute treated water network teams were posted in each water supply zone supply and also to install/replace pipe networks, (iv) the (four zones in total) to attend to burst pipes and block- operations of isolated sewerage systems on the island ages. Off-duty water treatment operators and laborers of Mahé, (v) the isolation of the country warranting were called in to continuously unblock intake infra- the need to have a significant buffer stock of chemi- structures and conduct repeated backwashing of the cals and equipment, hence tying up the flexible funds, filters at all the treatment plants on Mahé. A sewerage and (vi) limited financial capacity to invest into asset re- network team was sent to the Pointe Larue area for newal and expansion due to inadequate surplus funds repair works and unblocking of manholes and sewer generated from its operation. pipes. A second team was posted at the Anse Aux Pins sewerage treatment plant to undertake continuous Impact of the Floods pumping of the muddy water in the RBC and the sea This section includes damage and loss assessment for outfall pump station. The PUC electromechanical team the water and sanitation system, while the damage undertook repair of the pump and auxiliaries at the and loss assessment for the electricity sector will be plants. The associated costs of damages and losses are developed in the next section. summarized in table 2.3. The water treatment systems in Mahé were moderately Proposed Recovery Plan impacted by the heavy rains that began on January 27, Short Term 2013. The majority of intake systems (barrages) were Water Infrastructure—Mahé: blocked with debris and soil being washed down by in- ■■ Relocate all the distribution pipes that have been creased river flows. The water quality at the treatment installed in rivers and in drainage systems across plants deteriorated significantly and control measures Mahé. A recent survey puts the relocation cost near were instituted to respond to the water quality issue. SR 4.5 million. Filters were subjected to large quantities of turbid and muddy water. ■■ Review intake system (barrage) design and construction with the aim of minimizing blockages The sewerage systems in the districts of Anse Aux Pins due to debris during high inflows, and undertake and Pointe Larue were adversely impacted. The Anse repair of weakened areas. CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 11 Table 2.3 Estimated Damages and Losses for the Water and Sewerage Sector Sector Damages or losses Description Cost (SR) Damage Distribution pipes; 96 recorded burst in the flooded areas on January 27 and 28 125,000 Man hours (overtime) for continuous unblocking of intakes, flushing of lines, Water backwashing of filters, and pipe repairs. supply Losses 350,000 Fuel, transportation, equipment (pipe fittings), and increased chemical usage at treatment plants. Total 475,000 Sewerage/Sanitation Systems Damage Damaged collection pipes due to blockages by debris, manhole damages, and 310,000 equipment failure at the treatment plant. Pointe Losses Man hours (overtime) for unblocking and repair of sewer pipes and equipment at Larue treatment plant. 200,000 Fuel, transportation, pipe fittings, and pumping activities. Damage Damage to sea outfall pump and accessories, rotating biological disc, and auxiliaries. 550,000 Anse Aux Losses Man hours (overtime) for repair of pumps and accessories at the treatment plant. Pins 200,000 Fuel, transportation, electrical fittings, and pumping activities. TOTAL Damage 985,000 (SR) Losses 785,000 Source: PUC, 2013. ■■ Replace media filters of almost all the small density polyethylene (HDPE) or ductile iron pipes to treatment plants. Filter media have to be procured improve the robustness of the network. internationally. Long Term Sewerage Infrastructure—Mahé: Water Infrastructure: ■■ At Anse Aux Pins, the housing unit of the RBC is ■■ Installation of distribution pipes in rivers and underground and susceptible to inflows of muddy drainage systems should be avoided. It results in water during prolonged rainy periods. Counter– higher installation cost for areas where there is no water ingress measures have to be designed service corridor between the roads and walls of and built. A spare sea outfall pump set, electrical property owners. accessories, and pipe fittings have to be procured for replacement in anticipation of increased failure rate. Sewerage Infrastructure: Other spares and repairs to the housing of the RBC ■■ Anse Aux Pins system: The present RBC treatment have to be undertaken immediately. plant arrangement has aged and deteriorated with time. It requires upgrading, replacing, and most ■■ There is a need to replace the submersible pump in the importantly, relocation. It is presently installed in the main sump at Pointe Larue treatment works. It was middle of the commune area accommodating the subjected to debris and its risk of malfunction in the Chetty flats (about six blocks of flats). The network near future is relatively high. Urgent reconstruction also needs expansion to cater to other coastal of 200 manholes has to be undertaken to prevent buildings in the surrounding area. collapse and further water ingress in the system to prevent sanitation issues. A total length of 400 m of ■■ Pointe Larue system: The 300 m3/day diffused asbestos cement pipes has to be replaced with high- aeration system consists of three interconnected 12 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods tanks for repeated treatment of sewerage by ■■ Sourcing of spare parts for aging infrastructure that pressurized air from a blower system. There is a have become obsolete is a continuous challenge, need to rehabilitate the plant in the medium term since renewal of these assets is not undertaken at and eventually upgrade it to cater to other low-lying the end of their economic life cycle. areas that are highly vulnerable to high water table ■■ Having sufficient capital funds to invest into asset and flooding. renewal and upgrade is the key financial hurdle. ■■ The network has to be reevaluated with the aim of upgrading it in certain areas due to increased 2.2.1.3 Electricity inflows. Eventual relocation of manholes that are Overview situated in the middle of the Nageon Estate roads should also be undertaken. The Electricity Division is responsible for the generation, transmission, and distribution of the public electricity Estimates of the financing needs associated with the supply on the islands of Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, and the short-term and long-term recovery plans are summa- Inner Islands. There are around 305 employees and the rized in table 2.4, organization structure comprises the following sections: Key Issues for Consideration ■■ Production Section: Plants Operation and Key challenges include the following: Maintenance ■■ Transmission and Distribution: Network Operation ■■ Development taking place above catchments on and Maintenance Section river systems increases the risk of pollution during heavy rainfall. ■■ Praslin and La Digue: Production and Distribution ■■ Severe adverse weather conditions in the form of The core activities of the Electricity Division are as follows: drought and flash floods due to change in weather patterns increasingly affects PUC’s capability to ■■ Generation of electricity discharge its duties and responsibilities effectively. ■■ Transmission of electricity ■■ Aging infrastructure and its increasing deterioration in performance adversely affects services. ■■ Distribution of electricity ■■ Maintaining the production and distribution of ■■ Inspectorate and assisting with consumer services quality treated water during periods of heavy rainfall; ■■ Metering, assisting in billing, and collection of high risk associated with pretreatment of raw water revenue in order to maintain the required standards. There is risk to operators when working on barrages ■■ Project planning, design, and implementation attending to blockages in the intake during high river flows or heavy rainfall. The Section for Praslin and La Digue is responsible for the production customers. La Digue is connected to ■■ Risk of accidents to personnel while undertaking the Praslin network by an 11 kV network consisting of repair works in severe weather conditions both at two submarine cables operating in a radial formation. night and during the day. ■■ The overflow of sewerage manholes and plants The key constraints of the electricity sector include the endangers people and the surrounding environment. following: Preventing these overflows during prolonged heavy rainfall is a challenging task for the division and the ■■ Some 85% of the expenditure of the company PUC management. relates to direct material cost. As such, the Electricity CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 13 Table 2.4 Estimated Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Water and Sanitation Sector Financing Financing Financing Needs for recovery and reconstruction needs (SR) available (SR) gap (SR) Timeframe Recovery 3,250,000 1,000,000 2,250,000 Short term 3,250,000 1,000,000 2,250,000 Water infrastructure  2,500,000  1,000,000 1,500,000 8–12 months Sewerage infrastructure—Anse Aux Pins  250,000 0 250,000 6 months Sewerage infrastructure —Pointe Larue 500,000 0 500,000 12 months Reconstruction 48,005,000 3,300,000 45,005,000 Short term 10,300,000 3,300,000 7,000,000 Water infrastructure 4,500,000 0 4,500,000 8–12 months Sewerage infrastructure—Anse Aux Pins  800,000 300,000  500,000 8 months Sewerage Infrastructure—Pointe Larue (rehab and networks) 5,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 Medium to long term 37,705,000 0 37,705,000 Sewerage Anse Aux Pins—new plant and network expansion  15,200,000 0  15,200,000 2 years Pointe Larue plant rehab/renewal and upgrade of network 22,505,000 0 22,505,000 3–4 years 6 months–4 TOTAL 51,255,000 4,300,000 47,255,000 years Source: PUC , 2013. Division is vulnerable to delays in shipments and ■■ Limited service corridors for underground systems in price rises due to external factors beyond its control the urban and certain rural areas. (fuel prices, insurance due to piracy, and foreign exchange). Impact of the Floods ■■ Essential stock levels of strategic items have to be The heavy rains and flood of January 27, 2013, did not kept in the country due to the remoteness of the significantly impact the existing electrical infrastructure islands. This limits the opportunity to have more on Mahé, Praslin, or La Digue. There were no high-volt- age feeder outages except for localized low-voltage financial capacity to invest in other areas. interruptions due to trees falling across low-voltage ■■ Wayleaves for installation of new infrastructure on lines. The region most affected was the southern area, properties are becoming one of the main challenges where six low-voltage poles were broken and had to in the increasing need to expand the existing be replaced. network for connection of new customers. Recovery Initiatives ■■ Acquiring property owners’ agreements to undertake tree-cutting activities in order to maintain clearances In total, six teams were called in to handle low-volt- from overhead systems and minimize damages age calls. Four teams were posted in South Mahé and during heavy winds. two teams in North Mahé. All low-voltage supply on Mahé was fully restored by January 28, 2013. The to- ■■ Construction activities (drains, roads) in existing ser- tal damage is estimated at SR 25,000. The loss due to vice corridors for underground electrical infrastruc- the outage, overtime work, and tree cutting totaled SR ture. 200,000 (table 2.5). 14 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 2.5 Estimated Damages and Losses for the Electricity Sector Damage or Total damage and Sector losses Description Total (SR) losses (SR) Damage Six poles in South Mahé and low-voltage lines 25,000 Electricity Revenue loss, overtime to undertake repair works. Tree cutting Losses 200,000 activities by contractors called out on January 27 and 28 225,000 Source: PUC, 2013. Table 2.6 Estimated Reconstruction Needs for the Electricity Sector Financing Financing Financing Needs for Reconstruction needs (SR) available (SR) gap (SR) Timeframe Reconstruction Medium to Long Term Replace the high- and low-voltage bare lines with insulated lines; this will have a relatively high initial investment cost 20,000,000 0 20,000,000 2 years Source: PUC, 2013. Proposed Recovery Plan an approximate SR 10 million per year for two years (table 2.6). Short Term Only the overhead infrastructure is vulnerable to heavy Alternatively, the system could be installed under- rains and winds. To minimize the impact of future se- ground; this carries a heavy cost factor, since an enor- vere weather conditions, the PUC is scheduling three mous amount of civil works would be required. In clearance activities along all its overhead line systems. addition, it is anticipated that wayleave issues would be a major hurdle. Long Term On a long-term basis, a proper vegetation manage- 2.2.1.4 Other Public Infrastructure (SFRSA, ment scheme should be developed and implemented SCAA, Army, Police Department) in areas that are in close proximity to the PUC over- The impact assessment under this infrastructure sec- head electrical system. This will assist in lowering the tion also includes damage and losses experienced in cost and the frequent need for tree cutting on a yearly other public sectors like the Seychelles Fire and Rescue basis. A good start could be the drafting of a policy Services Agency (SFRSA), the Police Department, the for type of vegetation allowed in service corridors. It Seychelles People’s Defense Force (SPDF), and the Sey- is too early to define a cost at this stage; however, to chelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA). give an overall idea of the tree-cutting activities, it will cost an estimated SR 6 million per year to engage in Damage and Losses within the Seychelles complete tree-cutting activity covering all the overhead Fire Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) infrastructure of the electricity sector. The Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) Another option would be to replace the high- and low- is dependent on the national budget and falls under the voltage bare lines with insulated lines; this would have Ministry of Home Affairs. It provides fire prevention, res- a relatively high initial investment cost, estimated at cue, hazardous material mitigation, fire inspection, fire CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 15 Table 2.7 Estimated Damages and Losses for the SFRSA Sector Damages or losses Description Cost (SR) Total (SR) One portable pump damaged (cost of repair) 1,500 Damages Replacing 10 burst delivery hoses 30,140 431,640 Seychelles Fire and Two portable pumps (cost of replacement) 400,000 Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) Staff overtime 306,058 Losses Staff displacement allowance 23,100 338,451 Cost of fuel used in operation 9,293 Source: SFRSA, 2013. Table 2.8 Estimated Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the SFRSA Needs for recovery and reconstruction for the Financing Financing Financing Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) needs (SR) available (SR) gap (SR) Timeframe Recovery 431,640 0 431,640 Short term 431,640 0 431,640 Cost of repair of one portable pump damaged 1,500 0 1,500 6 months Cost of replacing of 10 burst delivery hoses 30,140 0 30,140 6 months Cost of replacement of two portable pumps 400,000 0 400,000 1 year Total 431,640 0 431,640 1 year Source: SFRSA, 2013. Table 2.9 Estimated Damages and Losses for the Police Department Sector Damages or losses Location Cost (SR) Total (SR) Total (US$) Anse aux Pins 81,500 Police Services Damage to the Police Station Anse Royale 24,400 156,300 12,504 Pointe Larue 50,400 Source: Seychelles Police Department, 2013. investigation, and public education to the Republic of es Agency (SFRSA) is summarized to be SR 431,640 Seychelles. It is mandated as the lead agency for land (US$34,531), as shown in table 2.8. search and rescue operations in the event of a disaster. Damage and Losses within the Seychelles The SFRSA supported the operation of pumping and Police Department rescue during recent floods in close coordination with the DRDM. Some of the SFRSA’s equipment used dur- Three police stations—in Anse Aux Pins, Pointe Larue, ing the emergency phase was damaged and needs to be and Anse Royale—were severely damaged in the repaired or replaced. Table 2.7 summarizes damage and floods. Furniture and equipment were damaged or de- losses experienced by the SFRSA, estimated at SR 431,640 stroyed. The Pointe Larue Police Station operation was (US$34,531) and SR 338,349 (US$27,068), respectively. transferred to the Anse Aux Pins Police Station due to the damages experienced. The total damage was esti- The estimation of needs for the recovery and recon- mated at SR 156,300 (US$12,504) (Table 2.9). Detailed struction within the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Servic- calculation is in appendix 4. 16 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 2.10 Estimated Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Police Department Needs for recovery and reconstruction for the Police Financing Financing Financing Department needs (SR) available (SR) gap (SR) Timeframe Recovery 156,300 0 156,300 Short term 156,300 0 156,300 Cost of equipment to be replaced 156,300 0 156,300 1 year Reconstruction 5,400,000 0 5,400,000 Short term 5,400,000 0 5,400,000 Renovation of the Anse Royale Police Station 800,000 0 800,000 1 year Renovation of Anse aux Pins Police Station 600,000 0 600,000 1 year Rebuilding of the Pointe Larue Police Station 4,000,000 0 4,000,000 1 year TOTAL 5,556,300 0 5,556,300 1 year Source: Seychelles Police Department, 2013. Table 2.11 Estimated Damage and Losses within SPDF Sector Damages or losses Description Total (SR) Total (US$) Seychelles Peoples Defense Force (SPDF) Losses Fuel for a one-day emergency trip to La Digue 36,000 2,880 Source: SPDF, 2013. Table 2.12 Estimated Damage and Losses within the SCAA Sector Damages or losses Description Total (SR) Total (US$) Seychelles Civil Aviation Computers and materials damaged in flooded Authority (SCAA) Damages offices 20,000 1,600 Source: SCAA, 2013. The needs for the recovery and reconstruction for the Damage and Losses within the Aviation Police Department are estimated at SR 5.4 million Sector (US$432,000), mainly for renovation of three police The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) is located stations (table 2.10). in Pointe Larue district within the Mahé Airport space. SCAA experienced some damages on computers and Damage and Losses within the Seychelles some materials, estimated at SR 20,000 (US$1,600), People’s Defense Force (SPDF—Army) during the floods in January (table 2.12). The Seychelles People’s Defense Force (SPDF) strongly contributed to the emergency response operations by The diagnostic conducted a few days after the disas- providing human resources and logistics, notably for ter by SCAA with technical support from GIBB (a civil the clearing works and logistics. No damages have engineering consulting firm) shows some deficiencies been reported within this department, but losses were in the stormwater drainage system at the Seychelles estimated at SR 36,000 (US$2,880), mainly for the fuel International Airport (SIA). The diagnostic particular- cost to La Digue (table 2.11). ly recommended the assessment of the storm water CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 17 Table 2.13 Estimated Cost of Recovery and Reconstruction Needs within the SCAA (Aviation Sector) Financing Financing Financing Needs for recovery and reconstruction needs (SR) available (SR) gap (SR) Timeframe Recovery  20,000  0  20,000 Short term  20,000  0  20,000 Replacement of computers and materials in flooded office 20,000 20,000 3 months Subtotal  20,000  0  20,000 Reconstruction 706,000 0 706,000 Short term 706,000 0 706,000 Construction of retaining wall around offices to reduce floodwater inflow and consequential flooding 150,000 0 150,000 6 months Gibbs study for urgent works to immediately alleviate the effects of sudden flooding 10,000 0 10,000 6 months Enhancement of drains at the equipment parking area and along the airport fencing to facilitate flood water drainage 20,000 0 20,000 6 months Enlargement of drains and replacement of protective grills 26,000 0 26,000 6 months Enlargement of airport roadside drains 500,000 0 500,000 1 year 3 months– TOTAL 726,000 0 726,000 1 year Source: SCAA, 2013. drainage system at the SIA and implementation of suit- land administration, surveying of land, allocation of able works to correct deficiencies. The corrective mea- land, and land use planning. All applications for devel- sures for the short and medium terms are estimated at opment of land in the Seychelles must also be submit- SR 716,000 (US$57,280), as shown in table 2.13. ted to the Planning Authority for review and approval. It is mandatory that each district have its own land use Urban and Storm Water Drainage Issues planning document. The rains that caused the floods in January 2013 were The Town and Country Planning Act was the main heavy, but deficiencies in the storm water drainage sys- tem and in land use likely contributed significantly to legal binding document permitting the regulation of the impact of the disaster. The affected zones on Mahé land use and planning since 1972. Since 2011, the act Island were valleys located between the foothills and has been under revision with an aim to integrate new the road bordering the southeast coast and the airport, urban realities and context. The revised legal docu- which also experienced some damage due to drainage ment, called the Physical Planning Bill, is expected to system deficiencies. be finalized by July 2013. The new bill should include risk mapping, related mandatory settlement processes, ■■ It is essential to ensure that each inhabited area, and building measures. There is a concern that risk particularly in urban zones, is well planned and mapping will not be integrated into the current bill, drained within the context of a drainage master plan since no mapping exercises have yet been undertaken. (DMP) prepared particularly for flood-prone areas. ■■ A key recommendation, therefore, is for DRDM to In the Seychelles, land use and urban planning are un- take the lead in the preparation of essential risk der the responsibility of the Ministry of Land Use and mapping prior to July 2013 to permit integration Habitat (MLUH), which works closely with district au- of, at a minimum, the risk mapping process and an thorities to regulate all issues of land management, outline of the new urban legal framework. 18 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods The Physical Planning Bill is supported by specific land 37% was being locally produced. The main livestock use regulation at the national and district levels. While being produced are cattle, chicken, and beef. land use policy is quite good in the Seychelles, there has been a lack of enforcement, in particular with re- Impact of the Floods gard to building codes. Issues include noncompliance The torrential rains on the weekend of January 25–28, with proper drainage plans, building layout, etc. The 2013, caused considerable damage to the farming and MLUH manages about 2,400 requests for approval for agricultural communities. Farms along the coast suf- building per year, of which 95% are approved. fered major damages from the accumulation of water coming down from the mountainous area, whereas ■■ The MLUH’s capacity in ensuring building control on the ground should be strengthened. The building the farms on the hillsides suffered from erosion, land- code should be disseminated to permit professionals slides, and mudslides caused by rainwater runoff. and the public to be well informed of the local requirements for construction. An Agriculture Disaster Committee, comprising rep- resentatives of Agricultural Extension Services, Agri- ■■ Roles and responsibilities for those involved in the cultural Lands Management, Statistics, Agricultural maintenance and operation of drainage networks, Research and Development, Livestock Development, namely the LWMA, the SLTA, the Coastal Adaptation Veterinary Services, and the Department of Environ- and Management section (CAM), and the Agricultural ment (Drainage Section), was established to record Agency, should be clarified. Potentially, one agency and verify the extent of damage to farms and other should be appointed to lead and coordinate all agricultural premises and infrastructure. Every effort maintenance activities, and be responsible for the was made to capture as many people as possible who overall planning and implementation of cleaning suffered losses. operations at country level. Out of a total of 593 registered farms, 293 were vis- 2.2.2 Productive Sectors ited. Seventy-four were recorded as suffering from on- 2.2.2.1 Agriculture farm damages caused by the disaster. All information collected was channeled through the Statistics Unit of The Seychelles Agriculture Agency (SAA) was created in SAA for compiling data and conducting analysis. The 2009 as an agency falling under the Ministry of Natu- assessment was then submitted to the Ministry of Nat- ral Resources and Industry. The SAA has seven sections, ural Resources and Industry, and as a Flash Appeal to comprising Crop and Research Development, Extension, the National Disaster Committee, to assist individuals Land Management and Planning, Veterinary Services, who were affected by the disaster and who depend Livestock, Plant Protection, and Administration and Fi- upon agriculture for their livelihoods. nance, as well as the administration of the Victoria Mar- ket. The budget comes directly from the government. The majority of farmers had lost crops in the fields with associated tools and irrigation equipment, as well as The agricultural sector produced a total of 6,147 tons certain inputs that were in storage. The total estimated (recorded in the 2011 agricultural census), with the physical losses were SR 17.84 million (US$1.43 million) main crops produced being banana, lettuce, Chinese (table 2.14). cabbage, cabbage, eggplant, chilies, cucumber, toma- toes, and pawpaw. A total of 21,194 tons of fresh Proposed Recovery Plan fruits and vegetables were being imported. This meant only 29% of crops were being produced locally. In The Committee decided that the most affected farms, 2011, the livestock sector recorded a total of 1,393 which are located in the coastal area of Au Cap, would tons of meat being locally produced, while a total of be compensated with 40% of their crop loss. In this 3,763 tons were being imported. This meant a total of category, there is a total of eight farms, namely Ralph CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 19 Table 2.14 Summary of Damage and Losses from the Agriculture Sector Damages Losses Total damages Items Public Private Public Private and losses (SR) Inputs in form of stored fertilizer, pesticide, and seeds   92,443     Inputs in form of U/V plastic, shade house, and shade net   982,885     Other damages to terraces   5,760     Equipment damages including water pumps, electric pump, and irrigation equipment   135,700     Road damage on the Au Cap plateau 2,025,000       17,836,255 Drainage issues 5,785,000       Irrigation barrage at Cap Sammy 680,000       Crop loss       8,086,217 Seedlings in nursery       43,250 Total 8,490,000 1,216,788 — 8,129,467 Source: SAA, 2013. Note: — = not applicable. Table 2.15 Summary of Needs for the Agriculture Sector Financing Financing Financing Needs for recovery and reconstruction needs (SR) available (SR) gap (SR) Timeframe Recovery 8,129,467 1,909,434 6,220,033 Short term 8,129,467 1,909,434 6,220,033 Compensation for crop loss 8,129,467 1,909,434 6,220,033 6–12 months Reconstruction 9,706,788 0 9,706,788 Short term 5,785,000 0 5,785,000 Drainage issues 5,785,000 0 5,785,000 Medium to long term 3,921,788 0 3,921,788 Damaged inputs, terraces, road damage, and irrigation barrage 3,921,788 0 3,921,788 Over 1 year Total 17,836,255 1,909,434 15,926,821 Source: SAA, 2013. Hoareau, Simon Belle, Gerald Belle, Jean-Paul Desau- There is a plan to set up agricultural insurance involv- bin, David Marie, Luc Gedeon, Ginette Geffroy, and ing the two local insurance companies (SACOS and H Sylvestre Naiken. The other 66 farms would be com- Savy insurance) to transfer risk of any future disaster. pensated at 20% of their loss. It is noted that this com- pensation is aimed at assisting the affected farms in Key Issues for Consideration getting their farm business back into operation. It was ■■ Proper infrastructure such as drainage and roads also decided that 50% of the compensation would be needs to be improved. Once it is improved, the risk inputs and the other 50% would be in cash. The total of flooding will be greatly reduced. recovery and reconstruction is the same as the above damages and losses based on SAA without additional ■■ Lack of enumerators to collect information once cost, even though some challenges are listed without disasters occur is of major concern. At least four an associated cost (table 2.15). enumerators will be needed to get better estimates and cover all the farmers. 20 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 2.16 Property Value Loss Due to Landslides Approximate number of sites affected by landslides 150 Average plot size (m ) 2 700 Approximate percentage of sites to be banned from future development 10% Cost of land (SR/m )2 500 Total loss (SR) 5,250,000 Total loss (US$) 420,000 Source: Ministry of Land Use and Housing, 2013 ■■ Training in collection and analysis of information is section. The section has begun work on a strategic needed. risk management plan, which is expected to be ready around July 2013, pending comments from ■■ Lack of transportation and fuel for staff to collect stakeholders and final revision. the data and visit farms due to no budget support. ■■ A credit line at a lower interest rate should be Impact of the Flood considered for farmers. This will enable better Few major hotels were located in the flooded area. As- investment by farmers to improve infrastructure sessments completed by the time of the report indi- such as irrigation and shade houses. cate that one guesthouse and one golf course were ■■ No allowance was given for lunch or for overtime, as affected, but no damage and loss data were collected. it was not budgeted. Hotel Contingency Plan 2.2.2.2 Land Use In the previous World Bank–supported project, ho- Landslides also created issues for future land use. Some tel contingency plans were developed, which include sites became unbuildable after the disaster, which communication procedures, an emergency and di- translates to a loss of property value. A rough estimate saster preparedness template, and a disaster and risk of losses conducted based on the best data available preparedness manual for both small and large tourism yielded a total value of SR 5.25 million (US$420,000) establishments. The contingency plan, including provi- of lost value due to the disaster (table 2.16). sion of guidelines and manuals, is being implemented by the large hotels in order to develop their crisis man- 2.2.2.3 Tourism agement plan. Thus far, twelve large hotels have de- Overview veloped crisis management plans, while others are in the process of finalizing their plans. As the existing Currently, the Risk Management Section under the manual is overly complex for small tourism establish- Seychelles Tourist Board (established in March 2012) ments (guesthouses, self-catering businesses, restau- is in charge of risk management for the industry. Its rants, etc.), a simpler version should be developed. mandate is to assess and evaluate risk in the tourism industry and recommend appropriate measures, to Main Risks for the Seychelles Tourism educate and sensitize tourism service providers about Industry risk, and to take necessary actions. This is the first time that a risk management section is being set up to ad- Although only a limited number of tourism establish- dress risks associated with the tourism sector. ments were affected, the social impacts of the flood were felt in the tourism sector. It is important to note ■■ Presently, the section consists of one person who that the natural environment is a strong economic asset is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the for the Seychelles. The effect of climate change poses a CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 21 Table 2.17 Damages to Agro Industries due to the Flood Items Damages (SR) Damages (US) Processing equipment 3,620,500 289,640 Raw/packaging materials/finished products 691,156 55,292 Laboratory consumables 134,097 10,728 Total 4,445,753 355,660 Source: Agro Industries, 2013 significant threat to the islands’ biodiversity and land- 2.2.3 Social Sectors scape with a potential eventual negative effect on the 2.2.3.1 Housing tourism industry. Safety and security, piracy, and eco- nomic crisis have compounded the environmental risks Overview facing the tourism industry. Housing policy in the Seychelles has a strong focus on enhancing the supply of homes to its citizens, through Potential Needs/Challenges the provision of land, building materials, adequate in- ■■ Capacity building and additional staff required. frastructure, and financial services. According to the National Bureau of Statistics in the Seychelles, the ■■ Budget for effective implementation of the risk man- country has 25,929 houses—of these 85% are made agement plan. of stone and blocks and 15% of wood and iron. A ma- ■■ Communication between various agencies is some- jority of 84% are in good repair, 9% are fair, and 7% times a concern. are in poor condition. ■■ Involvement of the risk management section in ac- The Housing Finance Company (HFC) offers a range tivities (meetings, workshops, etc.) on issues associ- of products promoting housing affordability. In 2011, ated with risk management in the tourism sector. HFC introduced a product to promote house repairs for families earning up to SR 8,000 (US$640) a month. 2.2.2.4 Industry Eligible households that need to repair their housing Except for Agro Industries, no main industry was af- can apply for loans up to SR 25,000 (approximately fected. Agro Industries is engaged in food processing, US$2,000). Loans are repayable over a period of up retail, and production, and is located near the airport to seven years, at an interest rate of 3%. The product in a relatively flat zone. Its main products include long- was focused on addressing the increasing cost of build- life milk, juice, and yogurt. According to the CEO of ing materials, which has risen since 2008 as a result of the company, the total damage due to the flood was economic reforms introduced at that time. SR 4.4 million (US$355,660), including processing equipment, raw and packing materials, finished prod- Impact of the Floods ucts, corrugated cardboard trays, and laboratory con- The estimated impact based on available assessment sumables (table 2.17). (Economic losses are attributed reports and data collected shows that five districts to the closure of the plant in late 2012 and therefore were affected by the floods (figure 2.1). Out of 218 not included here.) houses affected, six houses were totally destroyed, 35 were partially destroyed, and 177 were flooded. Anse Aux Pins was the most heavily impacted district. Of the affected houses, 189 are privately owned, while 29 be- 22 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Figure 2.1 Number of Houses Affect by Flood, by District 120 106 100 80 60 54 40 17 20 14 9 10 3 3 1 1 – Anse Aux Pins Aux Cap Pointe Larue Bel Aire Mont Buxton n Fully destroyed n Partially destroyed n Flooded long to a parastatal company (Property Management monitoring, and evaluation at the response stage and Company [PMC]). The estimation of damage is over remains involved during the recovery process. SR 12 million (approximately US$975,000), including damaged and destroyed household goods, which ac- During the crisis, national actions focused primarily counted for nearly half of the total amount (table 2.18). on meeting immediate lifesaving needs. Human lives The total losses, mainly from the cost of demolition were at risk and quick action was required to minimize and rubble removal, are SR 2.4 million (US$192,000). danger and restore order. The focus was on restoring Other losses, such as the duration of reconstruction national capacities to provide a secure environment, period and cost of a temporary housing scheme, have offer services, restore livelihoods, coordinate activities, no available data, but should be considered. and prevent the recurrence of crisis, while creating conditions for needed future development. Recovery Initiatives The Seychelles’ early recovery had five broad aims: During the disaster, the Department of Community Development and Sports, which manages the District ■■ Increase ongoing emergency assistance operations Administration offices in all districts, established a co- by building on social/humanitarian programs: ordination center at the Department’s secretariat to provision of basic necessities by the Agency for Social register all cases reported to the District Administration Protection, the Red Cross, and private donors, etc. offices or through the DRDM. Emergency Brigades from the affected districts were assisted by colleagues from ■■ Support spontaneous recovery initiatives by affected other unaffected districts in performing rescue and re- communities. location operations. The district administrators, district ■■ Encourage the business sector on construction and emergency brigades, and the active participation and maintenance to offer immediate help on the ground. involvement of the community at the grassroots level helped to create an effective disaster response. The ■■ Encourage ordinary citizens to open their homes to Department of Community Development and Sports those affected. was actively engaged in the identification, analysis, CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 23 Table 2.18 Estimated Damages and Losses for the Housing Sector Damages Losses   Total in SR Total in US$* Total in SR Total in US$ Damages         Fully destroyed 3,759,000 300,720     Partially destroyed 2,437,024 194,962     Flooded* 0 0 Household goods 5,990,886 479,271     Losses         Duration of reconstruction period, month**         b) Cost Of demolition and rubble removal     2,400,000 192,000 c) Cost of temporary housing scheme**     0  0  d) Food/supplies by Seychelles Red Cross Society 134,970 10,798 Total 12,186,910 974,953 2,534,970 202,798 Sources: Ministry of Community Development and Seychelles Red Cross Society, 2013. Notes: *: This is a standardized form for house flood calculation. However, there is no data for this particular flood. ■■ Establish the foundation for longer-term recovery, ■■ Build capacity to provide a broad range of flexible including the National Task Force and the National housing options including sheltering, interim Relief Fund. housing, and permanent housing. ■■ Better integrate disaster housing assistance with The Seychelles’ early recovery programs were aimed at related functional needs support services, commu- providing the affected communities with safety nets, nity support services, and long-term recovery efforts accurate information, and access to resources, oppor- (e.g., creating a Community Rehabilitation subcom- tunities, and capacities to rebuild their lives at a mo- mittee under the National Task Force). ment when they were most vulnerable. ■■ Improve/accelerate disaster housing planning to Proposed Recovery Plan better recover from incidents. Short-Term Needs • Work to repair houses with minor damage. • Team up government ministries (MLUH, MCD- Estimation of the short-term needs for interventions SAS) in assessing major housing damages with that address emergency actions to reconstruct dam- the aim of establishing a priority list for recon- aged infrastructure and recover losses includes the fol- struction. lowing: ■■ Provide leadership to engage and coordinate the ■■ Support individuals and households in affected full range of partners and stakeholders to address communities in maintaining and returning to self- disaster housing efforts and ensure compliance with sufficiency. laws applicable to housing in the country. ■■ Affirm and fulfil fundamental disaster housing re- • Create a Public Infrastructure subcommittee to sponsibilities and roles. coordinate. ■■ Increase collective understanding and ability to meet the needs of affected households. 24 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 2.19 Summary Needs for the Housing Sector Recovery (SR) Reconstruction (SR) Risk reduction (SR) Medium- Medium- Medium- Total Total District Short term long term Short term long term Short term long term in SR in US$ Pointe Larue 1,347,390   757,116 4,943,184 200,000 950,000 8,197,690 655,815 Anse Aux Pins 6,226,721   866,600 27,093,451 400,000 1,550,000 36,136,772 2,890,942 Aux Cap 1,596,530   63,808 18,346,181 200,000 950,000 21,156,518 1,692,521 Bel Air 0   70,000 416,250 70,000 500,000 1,056,250 84,500 Mont Buxton 0   0 500,000 50,000 500,000 1,050,000 84,000 Cascade 167,400   0 1,200,000 80,000 500,000 1,947,400 155,792 Total 9,338,041 1,757,524 52,499,066 1,000,000 4,950,000 69,544,631 5,563,570 Sources: Ministry of Community Development and Seychelles Red Cross Society, 2013. Medium- and Long-Term Needs As shown in table 2.19, the total housing sector needs, including those for short-, medium-, and long-term re- Medium- to long-term assessments were conducted covery and reconstruction, as well as risk reduction, are for every household that required long-term recon- over SR 68 million (US$5.5 million). struction. The main activities under medium- to long- term reconstruction are building of retaining walls and Key Issues for Consideration earth trim, building of wider channels to trap water, construction of drains, repair of houses, demolition ■■ Many of the landslide areas have extremely high work, and relocation of property owners. Under risk embankments and have adversely affected more reduction, foreseen activities include relocation of than one property. flood victims, consultancy fees, capacity building for ■■ In some instances, retaining walls may not be feasible key emergency staff and emergency brigades, and due to the gradient of terrain and type of soil. conducting mock drills. ■■ Many of the affected areas are not accessible by Needs include the following: vehicle or machinery. ■■ Capacity building and training in disaster manage- 2.2.3.2 Education ment, shelter management, needs assessment, co- Overview ordination, and communication for The mandate of the Ministry of Education is to play • District Administrators and Office Managers a key role in shaping a high-quality education system • District Emergency Brigades (volunteers) that meets the needs of all learners, supports their par- • Project Officers ticipation in communities and in society, promotes and • Staff of the Environment & Emergency Unit enhances lifelong learning, and contributes to the de- velopment of the knowledge society in the Seychelles. ■■ Recruitment of one (1) staff in the Environment and The Seychelles education system comprises different Emergency unit for Disaster Management. formal subsectors, which cover academic and technical ■■ Expanded training on DaLA (the one-day training training at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary was not sufficient). institutions imparting vocational education and techni- cal training. Table 2.20 gives an overview of the number of schools and students registered for each category. CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 25 Table 2.20 Number of Schools and Students in the Seychelles, 2012 Number of schools Number of students Schools Public Private Total Public Private Total Crèche 24 4 28 2,523 335 2,858 Primary 24 4 28 7,832 869 8,701 Secondary 10 3 13 6,587 536 7,123 Postsecondary 8 0 8 2,196 0 2,196 Total 66 11 77 19,138 1740 20,878 Source: Ministry of Education, February 2013. Table 2.21 Damage and Loss Estimates for the Education Sector Type of school Damages Losses Total damage and losses     Crèche Primary Secondary in SR in SR in SR in US$ Pointe Larue 1 1 1 1,970,000 380,000 2,350,000 188,000 Anse Aux Pins 1 575,000 90,000 665,000 53,200 Aux Cap 1   190,000 190,000 15,200 Total 1 3 1 2,545,000 660,000 3,205,000 256,400 Source: Ministry of Education, February 2013. Impact of the Floods Medium and Long Term Seven schools in three districts (Anse Aux Pin, Aux In the effort to minimize and prevent future disasters Cap, and Pointe Larue), with over 2000 students, in the affected areas and other areas, it is estimated were affected by the flood. Damage was mainly to sci- that the medium- and long-term costs for the educa- ence equipment, furniture, and gutters, blocking of tion sector will be SR 90 million (approximately US$7.2 the sewage system, piping system, septic tanks, and million) (table 2.22). boundary walls. Most of the school walls needed to be repainted. The total damages amounted to SR 3.2 This figure includes the construction of three sewage million (US$256,400) for five schools (table 2.21). De- treatment plants (Anse Aux Pins, La Digue, and Anse tailed calculation can be found in appendix 5. Royale), with an estimated market price of approxi- mately SR 1,500,000 per facility; improvement of the Proposed Recovery Plan drainage and construction of a retaining wall at Pointe Larue, with an estimated market cost of SR 4,500,000; Short Term and improvement of the drainage of a swamp at Anse Schools and surrounding areas were cleaned and fu- Boileau, estimated at a market cost of SR 2,500,000. migated to enable students to return to class. Items This part is not included in the transport section. damaged by the flood still need to be replaced. The to- tal estimate of short-term costs as a result of the flood The relocation of Point Larue School will cost SR 74.8 is approximately SR 2,545,000. The other SR 660,000 million (nearly US$6million). The relocation is necessary was for the cleaning and fumigation. because the current school site is low-lying and prone to flooding. The option to demolish the current school, recompact the ground, and reconstruct the school is considered too expensive (table 2.23). 26 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 2.22 Needs Estimates for the Education Sector Needs Recovery (SR) Reconstruction (SR) Risk reduction (SR) Total Total Medium- Medium- Medium- District Short term long term Short term long term Short term long term in SR in US$ Pointe Larue 380,000 0  2,470,000 0  4,500,000 74,800,000 82,150,000 6,572,000 Ans Aux Pins 90,000 0  575,000 0  1,500,000 0  2,165,000 173,200 La Digue 0  0  0  0  1,500,000 0  1,500,000 120,000 Anse Royale 0  0  0  0  0  1,500,000 1,500,000 120,000 Anse Boileau 0  0  0  0  0  2,500,000 2,500,000 200,000 Aux Cap 190,000 0  0 0  0  0  190,000 15,200 TOTAL 660,000 0 3,045,000 0 7,500,000 78,800,000 90,005,000 7,200,400 Source: Ministry of Education. Table 2.23 Cost for Construction of a New School for Pointe Larue Secondary Total cost (SR) Total cost (US$) Civil works 60,000,000 4,800,000 Furniture 4,000,000 320,000 Equipment 4,000,000 320,000 Contingency 6,800,000 544,000 Total 74,800,000 5,984,000 Source: Ministry of Education, February 2013. Institutional Assessment 2.2.3.3 Health There is a lack of qualified personnel for disaster reduc- Overview tion assessment and reporting. Education would need The Ministry of Health is responsible for planning, to build capacity in these areas to minimize any future directing, and developing the health system for the damages and be better prepared. The education de- benefit of the entire population of the Seychelles. partment is lacking project officers to conduct proper Constitutionally, the government is required to provide assessment of its facilities. There is a need to recruit essential health care services to all citizens. Currently, more personnel and also a need for capacity building the National Health Strategic Framework (NHSF) 2006– for those that are already with the department. 2016 provides the strategic direction of the health sec- Key Issues for Consideration tor. In NHFS 2006–2016, NCDs (noncommunicable diseases) are the highest priority because they have the The following issues should be considered with regard largest burden of mortality in the Seychelles. to the education sector (table 2.24): ■■ Budgetary constraints and pressures from competing The primary health care system is based on the United needs Kingdom model of general practice. Implementation of this model has resulted in improved health of the ■■ Lack of availability of qualified contractors and labor population and consequently attainment of Millenni- to undertake work due to a limited qualified labor um Development Goals (MDGs). The Seychelles has a pool and competition from other construction/ three-tier health system, consisting of one central refer- development ral hospital, three cottage hospitals, one rehabilitative ■■ Changes in priorities due to policy changes hospital, one mental hospital, one youth health center, CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 27 Table 2.24 Disaster Risks That Schools Are Facing Schools Risks Bel Eau Faces landslides—school at risk whenever there is heavy rain. Grand Anse Mahé The school is very close to the sea and faces risks of flooding if there should be a sudden rise in sea level. Point Larue Anse Aux Pin Anse Royale La Digue These schools are along the coast and the water level in the ground is high. They face sewage issues, which Aux Cap worsen when there is a rise in the sea level or heavy rains. Anse Etoile Anse Boileau Port Glaud Cascade Boulders at risk of falling threaten the school. Source: Ministry of Education, February 2013. Table 2.25 Estimated Damage and Losses in the Health Sector   Damage Losses   Total in SR Total in US$ Total in SR Total in US$ Damage   Dental equipment in dental school (Pointe Larue) 500,000 40,000  0  0 Losses  Outbreaks (suspected dengue, diarrheal diseases, hand foot and mouth  0  0  0  0 [HFM] disease) Cost of surveillance (looking for cases/visiting clinics and houses)  0  0 1,000,000 80,000 Cost of information campaign  0  0 1,000,000 80,000 Costs of vector control (spraying insecticide)  0  0 2,000,000 160,000 Cost of prevention and management of patients (store extra drugs, etc.)  0  0 2,000,000 160,000 Administration costs  0  0 1,000,000 80,000 TOTAL 500,000 40,000 7,000,000 560,000 Source: Ministry of Health, February 2013. and sixteen district health centers located throughout other referral hospitals offer psychiatric and rehabilita- the country. The government-funded services are com- tive care. Primary health care is provided by health cen- plemented by a private service system. In 2006, there ters, which are evenly distributed on the major islands. were seven private medical clinics, five private dental clinics, and two pharmacies. Most private practitioners Impact of the Floods provide primary treatment, referring patients to gov- ernment-run secondary and tertiary care services when The damage caused in the health sector amounted to required. SR 500,000 (US$40,000) due to the damage to equip- ment. The losses were much more significant, estimat- Victoria Hospital is the main referral hospital, which ed at SR 7 million (US$560,000) due to the cost of offers some tertiary care. There are three cottage hos- surveillance, an information campaign, vector control, pitals attached to primary health centers, while two etc. (table 2.25). 28 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 2.26 Needs Estimation for a Suspected Dengue Epidemic Contingency Response Plan Area of work Objective Amount (SR) Amount (US$) To strengthen early case detection at health facility and community Surveillance and levels; reporting, referral, and confirmation of suspected cases of laboratory dengue; and timely follow-up of affected cases/ households 1,700,000 136,000 Vector control To enhance vector control through integrated vector management 3,818,000 305,440 To support prompt clinical management of suspected/probable/ Case management confirmed dengue cases in the health facilities 2,080,000 166,400 To create public awareness about dengue and other vector-borne Public education/ diseases—the risk factors, prevention, and control among the social mobilization community 4,146,680 331,734 Coordination and To ensure effective coordination of dengue outbreak response activities logistics and strengthen logistic management 58,500 4,680 TOTAL 11,803,180 944,254 Source: Ministry of Health, February 2013. The total recovery needs for the health sector are estimat- vector (Aedes albopictus) breeds prolifically in the Sey- ed at nearly SR 12 million (approximately US$950,000), chelles and is the main vector for these two diseases, including laboratory strengthening, case management, this risk needs to be borne in mind in the event that the public education, and coordination (table 2.26). country experiences a massive downpour with flood- ing. Diarrheal diseases are also one of the major risks Institutional Assessment due to sewage contamination of underground water. There is approximately one doctor per 780 people and The Health Sector Emergency Response Plan is not yet one nurse per 400 people in the Seychelles. Nurses pro- finalized and there is an urgent need to complete this vide the family planning and maternal and child health document. services. Almost all nurses are Seychellois, but 75% of all physicians are expatriates. A school of nursing in the capital trains nurses, but there is no medical school and 2.2.4 Cross-Cutting Sectors Seychellois doctors are trained abroad. Health workers 2.2.4.1 Environment regularly visit the outlying islands to provide care for the inhabitants, but when the health workers are not ■■ The environmental impact of the floods and landslides on the outlying islands, the inhabitants depend on a of January 2013 event occurred across terrestrial, radio to communicate with the community clinics. freshwater, and coastal/marine ecosystems. The most significant impacts on the environment were The majority of highly specialized treatment takes related to the following issues: place overseas; such treatment cost SR 5,217,000 • Water quality (contamination from fertilizer, (US$417,360) in 2005 and increased to SR 9,871,000 pesticide, and sewage) (US$789,680) in 2010. • Waterways (natural and man-made) blocked with silt, mud, and downed trees Key Issues for Consideration • Sediment and contaminated runoff to fresh, brackish, and saltwater habitats Natural hazards as a result of climate change pose a • Destruction of key habitat for endangered species great threat to the Seychelles. Heavy tropical rains lead (e.g., green turtle nesting area) to landslides and flooding with attendant increase in mosquito vectors that have led to outbreaks of den- ■■ While some estimates of costs of both damage and gue fever and Chikungunya fever in the past. Since the losses can be assessed for particular activities, for CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 29 instance, cost of drainage clearance or tree removal, for flood waters, etc. These and other services other costs are more difficult to quantify, at least in provided by ecosystems are among the Seychelles’ part due to gaps in the collection and availability of most important natural assets. data. These costs to the long-term environmental health of the country are significant for a variety of Impact of the Floods reasons, particularly for the positive effects to the Table 2.27 attempts to clarify the broad range of po- infrastructure and public expenditure sectors, from tential damages and losses sustained by the floods of the range of services provided by healthy ecosystems. late January 2013 and the various sectors affected. As Of chief concern with regard to the recent disaster in will be discussed later in the section, most of the dam- January is the key role particular ecosystems play in ages and losses in the environment sector have to be disaster risk reduction: for example, mangroves have considered potential due to a lack of data on the base- been shown to offer protection against tsunami line and after flood impact for key habitats, as well as damage; coral reefs protect coasts and beaches calculations relating to valuation of a range of ecosys- from storm surge; wetlands act as a natural sponge tem services. Table 2.27 Estimation of Damage and Losses for the Environment Sector Ecosystems/ Zones Potential damage Potential and calculated losses Sector(s) a) Tree species, including mangroves a) Cost of removal of trees a) Public expenditure; environment destroyed or clearedb) Land—on, Land/ b) Property value of unbuildable b) Productive above, below landslide areasc) terrestrial land Destruction of habitat related to c) Environment above c) Habitat a) Streams, rivers, and water a) Human and environmental health a) Social supply—sewage/fertilizer/ impact of water quality a) Social pesticide/contaminants/runoff a) Cost of water purchase b) Public expenditure; environment b) Streams, rivers, wetlands— Fresh b) Cost of clearance of drains, increase of sedimentation/ water dredging, etc. siltation a, b) Habitat loss b) Potential future loss of ecosystem services a) Coral reefs and shoreline—runoff a, b, c) Potential future loss of a) Environment, public expenditure, with sediment and contaminants ecosystem services infrastructure b) Beach erosion from flood waters b-d) Potential impact on tourism and b) Tourism, environment aesthetic value Coastal c) Mangrove—sediment buildup on c) Environment, infrastructure zone/ aeration roots a-e) Habitat loss d) Environment, tourism marine d) Takamaka trees’ root exposure f) Potential loss of income to fishers e) Environment e) Sea turtle nesting ground f) Productive destroyed f) Fish species affected 30 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Initial losses (unexpected costs) from the period of January Recovery 25–February 15, 2013, to the environment sector from In the short term, the environment department has al- the cost of cutting and removal of trees, clearing of chan- ready completed extensive clearing of channels, both nels, removal of vegetation, blasting, etc., currently total natural and man-made, of trees, earth, and silt. With SR 4,464,275 (US$357,142). (These costs are included regard to other environmental damage, an assessment under ‘cross-cutting issues’ in table 3.1) More losses for of the affected reef should be considered, along with such activities are expected in the next weeks, but they safeguarding of the takamaka trees along the beach are likely to be diminishing over time, since clearing and of Anse aux Pins. In addition, an analysis of the eco- similar activities were most intensive in the days immedi- nomic valuation of ecosystems services, along with ac- ately preceding and following the floods and landslides. cumulation of baseline data on key habitats, will assist the country in better understanding the important role The assessment of damage and losses from the Janu- these services play in protecting vital infrastructure, ary 2013 floods brought to light key gaps with regard etc., and in better assessing the damage and losses of to data availability, which would allow for a more ac- any future events. Finally, immediate action should be curate assessment of costs as well as possible response taken to strengthen enforcement of existing codes and and mitigation measures. Significant among these is regulations, which safeguard the terrestrial, freshwa- an apparent lack of baseline data (or access to it across ter, and coastal habitats and services. government agencies) with regard to a variety of habi- tats and species, including reef systems, mangroves, Medium- and long-term needs focus on strengthen- wetlands, key species of flora and fauna, etc. In addi- ing the institutional capacity of the meteorological tion, and of significant importance to the Seychelles as service, which plays a key role in disaster risk reduc- it looks toward increasing its climate resilience, is a val- tion (as described above). These steps should include uation of ecosystem services provided, for example, by the following: reef systems, natural drainage systems, and wetlands. ■■ Increase observation network to monitor climate Current assessments of the area of the coastal zone change, including installation of automatic weather and reefs on the east coast of Mahé are unavailable, stations (AWSs) and rainfall data loggers in areas as the number of hectares affected by runoff in the with highest risk for flooding/landslides. (Improve coastal zone was apparently not recorded or provided monitoring and forecasting systems for floods/ to the MEE GIS team. However, anecdotal evidence drought.) reports that significant amounts of bright red, sedi- ment-laden runoff were seen over 45 days in the most ■■ Enhance capacity relating to human resources affected coastal area near Anse aux Pins. In addition, development to increase the local knowledge base, mangroves were particularly affected due to sediment institutional and infrastructural capacity building, accumulation as well as the necessity of clearing chan- access to and adequacy of methodologies, and the nels to limit further flooding. In addition to the impact promotion of information sharing and networking. of sediments and contaminated runoff to the fresh- ■■ Increase capacity in the national meteorological ser- water environments, including wetlands and streams, vices, including training personnel in the installation, the floods broke through to the sea at Anse aux Pins operation, calibration, and maintenance of meteo- beach, destroying a nesting area for the endangered rological equipment, tide gauges, and computer- green sea turtle and undercutting the banks, expos- based systems. ing the roots of native takamaka trees (already under pressure from a fungus). These trees are important as ■■ Build an additional meteorological station outside a key component of indigenous forests and coastlines, the flood zone to ensure operation during future as habitat for endemic bird species, and for their aes- disasters. thetic value along the beaches. CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 31 Recommendations ■■ Strengthen technical and institutional capacity in monitoring and research; adopt integrated coastal The integral nature of the environment sector becomes management. particularly clear during a disaster event: it both affects and is affected by realities in other sectors. With regard ■■ Define setback lines for coastal development. to future needs for disaster risk mitigation, it is particu- ■■ Undertake review of policies and institutions with a larly important to understand the cross-cutting nature view to ensure consideration of adaptation issues. of environmental issues. So, for example, construc- tion practices of roads and housing (filling in of natu- ■■ Develop and implement cost-effective beach resto- ral waterways, poorly designed drainage systems, use ration techniques in support of the tourism industry. of materials which increase the likelihood of runoff, ■■ Establish and strengthen the role of Environment etc.) have a significant effect on habitats that become Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental As- more obvious at times of a significant disaster event. sessment in climate change adaptation and risk/im- In addition, the role that ecosystem services can play in pact reduction. safeguarding infrastructure from, for example, storm surge related to climate change, becomes clearer as ■■ Establish basic design specification, incorporating well. Mitigation measures for future disasters as well climate change considerations, into coastal drain- as long-term climate resilience will be best when these age, coastal protection, and road and other infra- issues are mainstreamed and their cross-cutting nature structure development projects. taken into account. 2.2.4.2 Gender The sector should focus on strengthening both capac- Overview ity and the state of knowledge, and on providing as- sistance in implementing current strategies. While the According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the most state of knowledge on the effects of climate change is recent census for the Seychelles (2010) indicates that strong in the Seychelles, some targeted inputs could approximately 51% of households in the Seychelles enhance the country’s ability to establish and imple- are headed by women (Table 2.28). With regard to the ment effective policies and strategies to enhance its disaster of late January 2013, female-headed house- resilience to current natural hazards as well as the ef- holds represented more than half of all households in fects of climate change, particularly supporting the use the Point Larue, Anse aux Pins, and Au Cap (declared of ecosystem-based adaptation. disaster zones) and La Digue and Cascade (considered highly affected): Along with the above, in order to adapt, build resil- ience, and minimize the Seychelles’ vulnerability to Table 2.28 Proportion of Female-Headed the impacts, especially in critical sectors, the country Households by District should consider the following measures: Proportion of Female-Headed District Households ■■ Develop legally binding coastal land-use plans (in- Pointe Larue 53.8% corporating the impact of climate change and natu- Anse aux Pins 54.5% ral changes in coastal processes). Au Cap 49.1% Cascade 53.4% ■■ Research and develop alternative coastal designs La Digue 52.0% (such as elevation of buildings), which will accom- modate sea-level rise. Source: National Bureau of Statistics, 2013 ■■ Establish long-term monitoring of oceanographic parameters, including sea-level rise and sea surface temperature. 32 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Impact of the Floods ernment of Seychelles’ overall strategy of introduc- ing critical gender concerns into the policies, plans, Given the high number of female-headed households and programs at all levels. as well as the significant role single and elderly women play in caring for children, the disaster has had a some- ■■ Collection of gender-specific data in additional ar- what disproportionate impact on women. According eas, particularly with regard to income generation. to a 2008 study by the Indian Ocean Commission (Na- ■■ Ensuring integration of gender issues into key disas- tional Gender Report for the Elaboration of a Sub-Re- ter risk management–related policies in line with the gional IOC Gender Strategy), childcare is a significant goals of including gender mainstreaming in national issue for women’s employment in the Seychelles. The disaster disrupted the childcare employment opportu- policy guidelines. nities for both service providers and consumers. 2.2.4.3 Division of Risk and Disaster The following statistics show the numbers of women Management affected by the recent floods: Overview ■■ Number of cottage industries affected: 8 farmers; 26 The Division of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM) small cottage industries under the Ministry of Environment and Energy is re- ■■ Goods damaged related to cottage industries: ap- sponsible for promoting an integrated and coordinated proximately a cost of SR 500,000 (Note: these costs system for disaster risk management to prevent and are counted under the Housing section above.) mitigate emergencies and disasters. DRDM’s mission is “to establish and continually review and improve ca- ■■ Number of women-run cottage industries affected: pacities, mechanisms, and procedures to enable the 14 optimal reduction of disaster risk and vulnerability in ■■ Number of women and children displaced (either the context of the people of the Seychelles, their secu- single women or female-headed households): 55 rity, health, and socioeconomic well-being� (National women and 22 children age 0 months to 18 years) Disaster Management policy 2010). The following ■■ Number of women losing days of work due to loss gives an overview of the historic background of DRDM. of childcare or other disaster-related issues: 55 (the number might be more, as the data represent those The National Disaster Committee (NDC) was created in who were evacuated in shelters and other family 1995 under the President’s office. Its primary function members) was to research all possible hazards that could affect the Seychelles and to produce a National Disaster Response Some gaps in data were revealed at the time of the Plan (NDRP). Two months before the Indian Ocean tsu- disaster that make it difficult to assess the full impact nami in December 2004, a National Disaster Secretariat on women. In the short term, additional baseline data (NDS) was formed for the NDC. The Indian Ocean tsu- on gender, particularly with regard to vulnerability of nami in December 2004 accelerated the decision of the specific populations, should be developed and made government to upgrade the NDS to the Department available. Potentially, the need for gender-specific safe- of Risk and Disaster Management by December 2006. guards and programs to address affected cottage in- When initially instituted, the DRDM was headed by a dustry and informal sector workers may be particularly Principal Secretary, assisted by a Director General. important. In 2009, DRDM was transferred from the President’s Recommendations office to the Vice President’s office, and in July 2010, ■■ Integrating gender issues and gender-specific disas- it was placed under the mandate of the Ministry of ter risk mitigation plans should be part of the Gov- Environment and split into two divisions: the division of CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 33 Policy, Planning, and Risk Assessment (PPRM) and the ordinator for CPS, two senior coordinators for RAHSPS, division of Operations, Education, and Communication and one senior office assistant who provides support (OEC). Each division had their own Director General to all sections. (DG). Due to public familiarity, the division’s abbrevia- tion was retained as DRDM.� The following staff positions necessary for optimal functioning of DRDM are currently unfilled: The DRDM’s most recent restructuring was in August 2012, when the two divisions were merged into one ■■ Four directors, one to head each section as the “Division of Risk and Disaster Management,� ■■ One research officer under RSPS headed by a sole DG. This restructuring prompted in- ternal changes, including forming separate sections ■■ One education officer and one training officer under and units as described below. TEAS ■■ One planning and intelligence officer, one logistics DRDM is headed by a Director General who oversees and support officer, and one administrative and fi- the five sections of DRDM: nance officer under CPS ■■ Administration Section (AS) When disasters occur, DRDM is absorbed by the Na- tional Disaster Committee (NDC), headed by the Presi- ■■ Training, Education, and Awareness Section (TEAS) dent of the Republic, who is in the sole position to • Training Unit declare a state of emergency. The DG of DRDM then • Education and Awareness Unit serves as the technical advisor for the President of the Republic. ■■ Civil Protection Section (CPS) • Operations, Coordination, and Preparedness Unit Impact of the Flood • Planning and Intelligence Unit During the flood, DRDM activated the National Emer- • Logistics and Support Unit gency Operation Center (NEOC) in the meeting room ■■ Risk Assessment, Hazard Surveillance, and Preven- of the office, where first responders could review the tion Section (RAHSPS) situation and manage responses cooperatively. The DRDM serves as the reimbursement center for costs • Risk Assessment Unit incurred during the disaster. The following is a list of • Hazard Surveillance Unit those expenses submitted to DRDM from different • Hazard Prevention Unit agencies and contractors for reimbursement from the ■■ Research and Special Projects Section (RSPS) National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF). The majority of the expenses is for transportation cost, food, and cer- • Research Unit tain equipment for the disaster investigation, recovery, • Special Projects Unit and prevention. So far, SR620million (nearly $50,000) Currently, there is one project officer for RSPS, one co- has been disbursed (table 2.29). 34 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 2.29 Expenses Incurred by DRDM during the Flood Item Cost (SR) Cost (US$) Remarks Food 104,837 8,387 Supplied to EOC and all first-responder agencies’ staff on site Transportation 235,421 18,834 Zil Air, ferry, fuel Equipment 121,481 9,718 Raincoats, torches, batteries, boots La Digue accommodation 53,900 4,312 SFRSA staff to La Digue Consultant 12,500 1,000 DRDM Coral fill 92,000 7,360 La Digue Total 620,139 49,611 Source: DRDM, 2013 Institutional Assessment er-level staff unable to make it to the VEOC due to blocked roads, etc., could access the VEOC and be vir- Key Issues tually involved in the decision-making processes as well DRDM has many issues and factors impeding optimum as fully updated on all issues in the NEOC and in the delivery of its services. Due to a lack of staff, most staff field. Internet access and training for users would be undertake tasks intended for another full-time staff necessary to establish the system. along with their own job responsibilities. Despite the request to hire at least 10 more employees, budget- It was noted that some DRDM staff and staff temporar- ary constraints have prevented the funds from being ily recruited during the disaster were not adequately earmarked. trained to log issues and work efficiently. There were no proper standardized forms for registering, cata- Currently, the NEOC is located inside the meeting loguing issues, and dealing with complaints. Training room of the DRDM office and is activated when disas- for communication and intermediate IT skills for some ters occur. This meeting room also serves as the gath- staff has also been identified as part of needed capac- ering place for the NDC. During a disaster, this area ity building for the division. becomes crowded and working conditions deteriorate. It has been proposed that a fully functional office be Proposed Recovery Plan built, allowing for both office work and NEOC opera- DRDM has identified the following needs for better risk tions during any given time (normal time or a disaster preparedness, response, and recovery: period). Funding is available, but the location has yet to be allocated. ■■ The National Emergency Operations Center (dis- cussed above). As of this report, the government has Transportation was a problem during this past disaster not confirmed the site location. The total construc- event: there were not enough vehicles or drivers to fetch tion cost will be SR 18 million (US$1.44 million). Cur- staff to be brought to the NEOC. This is due to the lack rently, the budget is available, but finding a suitable of both staff with licenses and authorization to drive site is a challenge. The negotiation and identification government vehicles, and of available adequate vehi- is ongoing between the MLUH and the Environment cles. Currently, DRDM has four vehicles, two of which Department. need to be replaced due to age and wear and tear. ■■ Equipment A Virtual Emergency Operations Center (VEOC) has • Approximately 10 desktop computers are needed been recommended for use between DRDM and all in order to consolidate the existing system. During first-responder agencies. This would mean that high- the most recent disaster, many computers were CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 35 Table 2.30 Needs for DRDM Category Item Quantity Unit cost (SR) Total (SR) Remarks Back-up server (rack system) to 1 150,000  150,000   support existing PC system Stand-by generator (for EOC) 1 144,000  144,000   Desktop 10 25, 000 250,000 HP touch screen Equipment Twin cab (full-options) 2 650, 000 1,300,000   Virtual Emergency Operations     200,000 Multiple-license Center software (for DRDM and all first-responder agencies) Training (local) on basic 10 7,000 70,000 Staff communication, call logging, (DRDM and MEE support) intermediate IT skills Training Training for Virtual Emergency 2 50, 000 100,000 Trained staff will eventually train Operations Center software other staff. The cost depends on whether training is abroad or an expert is brought in. National Emergency Operations 1 18,000,000  18,000,000   Works Centre Total (approximate) 20,214,000   Source: DRDM, 2013 infected with viruses despite having antivirus Legal and Institutional Summary and antispyware software. Many documents The Cabinet endorsed the National Disaster Manage- and photos from the affected areas submitted ment policy on November 23, 2010. Currently, the Di- by the public were saved, but many computers saster Management bill is being redrafted, along with had reached their capacity. Staff working under the review of the draft Disaster Management Strategic DRDM had to remove their passwords from Policy Framework and Color Code system, risk ma- workstations to facilitate access to computers trix, and accompanying standard operating procedure during their absence, creating security issues. (SOP) manuals (table 2.31). These manuals will guide • A generator is needed to ensure power furnishes the staff in following all necessary protocols, assuming the NEOC at all times. Power outage would mean lack of guidance by a superior who might not be avail- all desktops would not have power, laptops would able at the time decisions need to be taken. SOPs will be limited to their battery life, and there would be be required for the following: no internet unless it is from a phone network. • Twin Cab 4x4 ■■ District Contingency Plans: All district plans exist, • Virtual Emergency Operations Center (VEOC) with the exception of one for Ile Perseverance ( a • VHF radios and all necessary accessories new district). ■■ Training needs ■■ Sectoral Contingency Plans: To date, there are five • Training staff under the division as well as other contingency plans, namely for health, tourism, in- staff under the MEE who will supply DRDM dustry, education, and shelter. during a disaster. This training should include call ■■ National Emergency Operation Center (during nor- logging, basic communication, data collection, mal time and emergencies) and intermediate IT skills. • Training for the use of the VEOC 36 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods DRDM also intends to review all outdated contingency ing sector considerably. plans, particularly the district contingency plans. There are also plans in the pipeline to review all hazard risk The January 2013 disaster, which caused serious flood- maps, including cyclone, tsunami, and flood risk maps. ing, extensive devastation to coastline, and widespread structural damage to roads, bridges, and houses, is Table 2.31 Summary of Endorsed, Completed, a clear example of the Seychelles’ exposure to cata- and Ongoing Policies Related to Disaster Risk strophic natural events. Current damages are estimat- Management ed at US$8.4 million (i.e., 0.77 percent of GDP). · National Disaster Management Policy The immediate fiscal impact of this calamity was ap- Endorsed · Tourism Contingency Plan proximately SR 4 million (i.e., 0.03 percent of GDP or · 25 of 27 District Contingency Plans 0.08 percent of recurrent budget). Expenditures were · Health Contingency Plan and SOP Manuals · Education Contingency Plan accommodated by making use of the government’s Completed budget framework, as no allocation with respect to · Industry Contingency Plan · National Shelter Policy natural calamities was made to the budgeted contin- Ongoing · Emergency Operations Centre SOP Manual gency fund of SR 50 million. The immediate expendi- tures were as follows: Source: DRDM, 2013 ■■ The Agency for Social Protection (ASP) provided first 2.3 Macroeconomic Impact assistance to the neediest. The assistance was based 2.3.1 Macroeconomic Impact on an assessment cost of damages to households, and 58 percent of these costs were covered by the The economic outlook for the Seychelles is broadly ASP. Two hundred and sixty (260) households ben- positive. Real GDP growth for 2013 is forecast to efited from this scheme at a cost of SR 2.79 mil- edge up to 3 percent and growth is expected to in- lion. Additionally, ASP also has to absorb SR 481,567 crease gradually in the following years as IT-enabled overtime cost and other costs related to the disaster services develop following the recent installation of response (table 2.32). the transoceanic fiber-optic cable and the tourism sector continues to diversify into nontraditional mar- Table 2.32 Expenditure for ASP kets. Continued fiscal discipline to include the broad- er public sector should help in reducing public sector Activities Expenditure (SR) debt to the target of 50 percent of GDP by 2018. Overtime 196,374 The tourism sector (which directly contributes 25 Transport and fuel 16,748 percent to the GDP) will remain central to the coun- Consumables and other costs 268,445 try’s medium-term economic prospects. However, the Total 481,567 high concentration of the European origin in the Sey- chelles’ tourism (70 percent of tourist arrivals) means ■■ The Ministry of Land and Housing (MLUH) and the that prospects for continued strong growth largely Seychelles Land and Transport Authority (SLTA) also depend on developments in the Euro zone. Diversifi- provided immediate emergency assistance (e.g., cation into nontraditional markets (within and out of roof repairs, cleaning of drainage, etc.) at cost of SR Europe) can help, but to a limited degree. 0.48 million. ■■ At the district level, the District Administrators have However, the Seychelles remains vulnerable to exter- incurred an expenditure of SR 0.6 million for similar nal shocks, the severity of which might have a huge activities. impact on growth and other economic variables. As a small archipelago, the Seychelles is sensitive to the While the Central Bank of Seychelles maintains its tight consequences of other external factors, such as climate monetary policy, the inflation rate increased by 3 basis change or threats of piracy, which could affect the fish- points in February (from 5.9 in January to 6.2 in Feb- CHAPTER 2 Economic and Sector Impacts and Needs 37 Table 2.33 Estimation of Income Loss Due to Disease Losses Number of Average Average salary Disease patients sick leave (SR/month) Total in SR Total in US$ Dengue 74 1 week 6,987 129,260 10,341 Hand, foot, and mouth (HFM) 1019 1 week 6,987 1,779,938 142,395 Diarrheal 287 1 week 6,987 501,317 40,105 Total 2,410,515 192,841 Source: Seychelles Ministry of Health. Table 2.34 Estimation of Income Loss due to Effects of Flood (Women) Losses Average days unable to Average salary Effect of flood Number of women go to work (SR/month) Total in SR Total in US$ Loss of childcare or 55 5 6,987 96,071 7,686 transport, relocation Source: Seychelles Ministry of Community Development, 2013. ruary). This is a result of an increase in price indices diarrheal disease as a result of both the mosquito popu- across the board. While this increase may be associated lation rise and a drop in water quality. Some patients with the disaster, it may also be the effect of the Value required extended hospital stays. Table 2.33 shows the Added Tax system, which was introduced in January estimated personal income loss due to these three dis- 2013. Taking into account the limited data availability eases was approximately SR 2.4 million (US$192,000), and the international carnival that took place just after based on the assumption of average salary at SR 6,987/ the disaster, the impact of the disaster on the foreign month and average sick leave of one week.2 exchange market cannot be effectively separated out from other impacts. Again due to limited data avail- Income Loss Due to Impact on Farms ability, the impact of the disaster on merchandise trade In the primary estimate of the flood, it was mentioned cannot be measured. However, tourism exports do not that 400 workers would be out of work for 10–12 weeks seem to have been affected, as tourist arrivals contin- due to the impact on the farms. However, this informa- ue to be on the increase, at an average of 15 percent tion was not confirmed from the SAA. Therefore, no above the same period of 2012. income loss calculation for this sector can be included. 2.3.2 Personal/Household Impact Income Loss for Women Due to the disaster, personal incomes were affected In the gender analysis section, it was indicated that because of illness, loss of jobs, and loss of houses. The women lost days of work due to loss of childcare or following are three examples of personal income loss other disaster-related issues, such as transport, reloca- derived from available data. The average monthly sal- tion, etc. Table 2.34 estimates that the total income loss ary was SR 6,987/month for all sectors in 2011, based for those women is approximately SR 96,000 (approxi- on National Bureau of Statistics data in 2013.1 mately US$7,600), based on the best available data. n Income Loss Due to Disease Following the flood, there was an outbreak of suspected dengue fever, hand, foot, and mouth (HFM) disease, and 2 Usually, patients are given one week of sick leave as an average for suspected dengue cases, as well as for parents of sick children with hand, foot, and mouth disease. For 1 The average for the first two quarters in 2012 was SR 8,625/ diarrheal cases, patients are given 4–5 days of sick leave. month. This report uses the lower number for 2011 to get a Therefore, if a few cases of dengue get more than a week of more conservative estimation. sick leave, it compensates for the diarrheal cases. The proposed Recovery Framework provides a sequenced, prioritized, programmatic yet flexible approach to recovery and reconstruction, aimed at building resilience against future floods 39 CHAPTER 3: Conclusion and Recommendations 3.1 Damage and Loss Summary In summary, most of the flood damage was sustained by the infrastructure sector (38%), followed by produc- According to the data reported from each affected sec- tive sectors (26%), social sectors (24%), cross-cutting tor, the January 2013 disaster in the Seychelles resulted sectors (5%), fiscal budget (4%), and personal income in SR 65.6 million (US$5.3 million) of damages and SR (3%) (figure 3.2). 38.9 million (US$3.1million) of losses (Table 3.1). In to- tal, the over SR 104 million (US$8.4 million) is equiva- Figure 3.2 Summary of the total damage and lent to 0.77% of the country’s GDP. The transport/road losses by groups sector was affected the most (35.1%), followed by agriculture (17.1%), housing (14.1%), health (7.2%), Cross-cutting Fiscal budget Personal income 5,084,414 4,351,567 2,506,586 land use (5%), and environment and industry (4.3% 5% 4% 3% each). Infrasructure 39,592,391 The infrastructure sector incurred more damages than Social sectors 38% losses, as shown in figure 3.1. The social and produc- 25,426,880 tive sectors had a similar share of damages and losses. 24% Both personal income and cross-cutting sectors have recorded losses, but no damages. Figure 3.1 Damage and losses Productive sectors 40 27,532,008 26% In terms of public and private ownership, the majority 30 (70%) of the damage and losses is public, as the in- n Loss frastructure, education, and health sectors are publicly owned (figure 3.3). The housing sector, the industry Million SR n Damage sector, part of the agriculture sector, and income loss 20 have been included under the private sector. 3.2 Recovery and Reconstruction 10 Summary The financial requirements to achieve postdisaster re- covery and reconstruction are estimated at SR 378 mil- 0 lion (US$30.2 million) (see table 3.2). The report makes a distinction between recovery needs and reconstruc- re e r ng t e to ge tiv m tu tti ec co ud uc uc tion needs, with the former covering the restoration cu ls in od lb sr s- cia al fra ca Pr os on of economic flows, such as the livelihoods and gov- So Fis In Cr rs Pe ernance systems and services, and the latter covering 40 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 3.1 Summary of Damages and Losses for All Sectors Disaster effects (SR) Disaster effects (US$) Subsector, component Damages Losses Total Damages Losses Total Social sectors 15,231,910 10,194,970 25,426,880 1,218,553 815,598 2,034,150 Housing 12,186,910 2,534,970 14,721,880 974,953 202,798 1,177,750 Education 2,545,000 660,000 3,205,000 203,600 52,800 256,400 Health 500,000 7,000,000 7,500,000 40,000 560,000 600,000 Productive sectors 14,152,541 13,379,467 27,532,008 1,132,203 1,070,357 2,202,561 Agriculture 9,706,788 8,129,467 17,836,255 776,543 650,357 1,426,900 Industry 4,445,753 — 4,445,753 355,660 — 355,660 Land use — 5,250,000 5,250,000 — 420,000 420,000 Tourism —  — — — — — Infrastructure 36,217,940 3,374,451 39,592,391 2,897,435 267,076 3,167,391 Transport/roads 34,600,000 2,050,000 36,650,000 2,768,000 164,000 2,932,000 Aviation 20,000 — 20,000 1,600 — 1,600 Electricity 25,000 200,000 225,000 2,000 16,000 18,000 Water supply/sewerage/sanitation 985,000 750,000 1,735,000 78,800 60,000 138,800 Police Department 156,300 — 156,300 12,504 — 12,504 People’s Defense Forces — 36,000 36,000 — — — (SPDF—Army) Fire Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) 431,640 338,451 770,091 34,531 27,076 61,607 Cross-cutting sectors — 5,084,414 5,084,414 — 406,753 406,753 Disaster risk management — 620,139 620,139 — 49,611 49,611 Environment — 4,464,275 4,464,275 — 357,142 357,142 Personal income loss — 2,506,586 2,506,586 — 200,527 200,527 Due to disease — 2,410,515 — 192,841 192,841 Cottage business — 96,071 96,071 — 7,686 7,686 Fiscal budget — 4,351,567 4,351,567 — 348,125 348,125 Agency for Social Protection (ASP) — 3,271,567 3,271,567 — 261,725 261,725 Ministry of Land and Housing — 480,000 480,000 — 38,400 38,400 District administration — 600,000 600,000 — 48,000 48,000 Total 65,602,391 38,409,888 104,493,846 5,248,191 3,108,436 8,359,508 CHAPTER 3 conclusion and recommendations 41 Figure 3.3 Summary of total damage and losses tion. Here the housing and transport sectors have by ownership also borne much of the impact of the flood, though the education sector and water supply and sanitation Private Public SR 31,020,474 SR 73,473,372 were also seriously affected. These four sectors com- 30% 70% bined account for 85% of total reconstruction needs for the country. Given the need to import many goods used in reconstruction, there is expected to be a long- term impact on the economy that will not be imme- diately visible. Recovery and reconstruction needs are summarized in table 3.2. In summary, the total damages and losses for the Sey- chelles are SR 104 million (US$8.4 million). The total needs for recovery and reconstruction are SR 379 mil- lion (US$30.3 million) (see table 3.3). 3.3 Seychelles Disaster Resilience repair, rebuilding, and improvement of private and Framework public infrastructure, as well as some investments to The current assessment indicates that the 2013 disas- mainstream disaster risk management. ter likely occurred due to a combination of (i) changes in weather and rainfall patterns (potentially due to cli- This estimate reflects costs for both the initial recov- mate change); (ii) the natural vulnerability of the coun- ery and reconstruction needs, as well as the costs of try due to its geomorphology; and (iii) an increased “building back better� (BBB) and mainstreaming di- saster risk management throughout key sectors to re- vulnerability due to a lack of compliance with and duce future disaster impacts and avoid future costs. In enforcement of norms and regulations, particularly in the education sector, for example, the BBB approach the areas of construction and land planning and use. would recommend the resiting of the Pointe Larue Without clearly addressing these areas through actions School to a location less vulnerable to future floods. In to increase climate resilience, to analyze, utilize, and the transport sector, it could include acquisition of ad- understand geological risk, and to enforce new and ditional maintenance equipment. And in disaster risk existing norms and regulations, vulnerability to future management, it could include additional investments disasters will likely increase. in technology and infrastructure to ensure that essen- tial communications and safeguarding of citizens can The assessment has confirmed the needs for the coun- continue in times of disaster. try to have a more comprehensive disaster resilience program. Of the total recovery needs, the transport/road sector accounts for the most needs, with total recovery and The calamities wrought by the January floods offer an reconstruction costs of SR 91.5 million (US$7.3million), important window of opportunity to address difficult followed by the education sector at SR 90 million development issues. The challenge now is to make full (US$7.2million), the housing sector at SR 70 million use of this opportunity. The Seychelles can facilitate (US$5.6 million), and the water supply/sewerage/sani- modernization of the country, with improved living tation sector at SR 51.2 million (US$4.1 million). conditions for its population, or the country will be in- creasingly at risk from the impacts of floods, sea-level Of far greater impact for the January 2013 floods are rise, as well as the negative impacts of possible future the medium- and long-term needs for reconstruc- climate change. 42 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table 3.2 Summary of Recovery and Reconstruction Needs for the Seychelles Needs for recovery and reconstruction (SR) Subsector, component Recovery Reconstruction Total Available Gap Social sectors 9,998,041 160,597,654 170,595,695 — 170,595,695 Housing 9,338,041 60,206,590 69,544,631 — 69,544,631 Education 660,000 89,345,000 90,005,000 — 90,005,000 Health — 11,803,180 11,803,180 — 11,803,180 Productive sectors 8,129,467 9,708,788 17,838,255 1,909,434 15,928,821 Agriculture 8,129,467 9,708,788 17,838,255 1,909,434 15,928,821 Infrastructure sectors 52,457,940 117,011,000 169,468,940 — 169,468,940 Transport/roads 48,600,000 42,900,000 91,500,000 — 91,500,000 Aviation 20,000 706,000 726,000 — 726,000 Electricity — 20,000,000 20,000,000 — 20,000,000 Water supply/sewerage/sanitation 3,250,000 48,005,000 51,255,000 — 51,255,000 Police Department 156,300 5,400,000 5,556,300 — 5,556,300 Fire Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) 431,640 — 431,640 — 431,640 Cross-cutting sectors — — 20,214,000 18,000,000 2,214,000 Division of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM) — — 20,214,000 18,000,000 2,214,000 Total (SR) 70,585,448 288,074,558 378,874,006 19,909,434 358,964,572 Total (US$) 5,646,836 23,046,965 30,309,920 1,592,755 28,717,166 Table 3.3 Total Damages, Losses, and Needs the decades ahead, public safety and economic secu- Total damages rity depend on enlisting nature’s defenses along en-   and losses (SR) Total needs (SR) gineered infrastructure and strengthening vulnerable Infrastructure 39,592,391 169,468,940 residents’ natural resource–based livelihoods and jobs. Social sectors 25,426,880 171,352,811 Productive sectors 27,532,008 17,838,255 A robust recovery and reconstruction framework is Cross-cutting sectors 5,084,414 20,214,000 proposed to provide a sequenced, prioritized, pro- grammatic, yet flexible (living) action plan to guide the Fiscal budget 4,351,567 — recovery and reconstruction process that is anchored in Income loss 2,506,586 — flood resilience. Total (SR) 104,493,846 378,884,006 Total (US$) 8,359,508 30,309,920 To achieve this framework, it must be ensured that all Note: — = not applicable. stakeholders work toward a common vision for recov- ery and longer-term resilience. Guiding principles help to align recovery objectives and the actions taken to Building back better is essential, but it is not enough. reach them. They also help to establish an overarch- While the flooding could not have been prevented, ing system for recovery planning across sectors and the extent of its impact could have been mitigated. inform the prioritization and sequencing of recovery Reducing flood impacts in the future will require at- needs. Guiding principles thus serve as a collective vi- tention to important aspects of governance, such as sion of the postrecovery future and determine criteria land use planning, housing, water management, envi- for the recovery process. It is an opportunity to adopt ronmental protection, and disaster risk reduction. With best practices from past experiences. Along with the more extreme weather and devastating floods likely in policies, standards for actions set the tone and pace for CHAPTER 3 conclusion and recommendations 43 the entire recovery process, and allow for the devolu- quick and simple risk-screening tool) and following up tion of decision making. throughout the design and implementation process if necessary. The formulation of guiding principles is an important part of the recovery planning exercise, and the prin- It is very important that sectoral investments, especially ciples identified should form the basis for recovery by the government, integrate preventive risk reduction planning. A detailed planning exercise was not con- measures. This will eventually result in financial benefits. ducted for this particular DaLA. The principles below are adapted from other international experiences to provide a starting point for the discussion on guiding Development of a risk-based national principles. Arriving at the goal of resilient recovery and flood management strategy resilient development involves asking a series of fun- The proposed strategy should be supported by system- damental questions, such as what good recovery from atic hazard and risk exposure and vulnerability map- this disaster means and what longer-term resilience ping. Possible economic loss scenarios will be helpful means for the Seychelles. for making decisions. Such a strategy could include the definition of resilience and resistance strategies for The following recommendations are made: flood risk management. Resistance strategies will aim at flood prevention, minimizing flood impacts, and en- Prior assessment of flood risk and hancing the recovery from those impacts. vulnerability Building codes could also follow risk-based assessment The first step in the flood risk management process is and “performance-based design,� which determines developing a comprehensive understanding, analysis, acceptable risk levels for different types of structures and assessment of flood risks and vulnerabilities that on the basis of their desired performance during and will guide flood disaster risk management strategies, after natural hazards. Risk posed by the failure of non- urban development, and land use plans. Maps provide structural components (e.g., the loss of a facility’s ser- powerful tools to illustrate vulnerabilities and risks and viceability due to damage to equipment) should also assist in decision making. The assessment and maps be considered. Performance-based design would result should comprise three key elements: (i) the hazard oc- in the prioritization and more stringent design of hos- currence probability—the likelihood of experiencing pitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure. any natural or technological hazard at a location or in a region; (ii) the elements at risk—identifying and mak- ing an inventory of people, buildings, or other elements Balance between structural and that would be affected by the hazard if it occurred, and nonstructural control measures estimating their economic value where required; and Since structural risk mitigation alone cannot suffice for (iii) the vulnerability of the elements at risk—how dam- effective flood risk management and is a costly option, aged the people, buildings, or other elements would an integrated flood risk management strategy should be if they experienced some level of hazard. be able to balance between disaster risk reduction and preparedness measures, by defining minimum or opti- mal levels of acceptable risk. Strategies should balance Inclusion of flood risk management structural and nonstructural measures and consider the into national regulations, policies, and socioeconomic context in which the flood risk manage- investments for flood prevention ment occurs. Structural measures are often costly and Flood risk management needs to be integrated into have the potential to provide short-term protection at government-financed investment programs by adopt- the cost of long-term problems. When floods occur, ing early risk identification (for instance, by applying a they tend to be of greater depth and more damag- 44 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods ing than in the past. Furthermore, structural measures engineering, social sciences, government, news media, often provide people with a false sense of security and and the public. The melding of scientific, managerial, unawareness about the risk that remains. technological, and social components is critical. Emer- gency response education toolkits can be developed Investing in nonstructural measures is often less costly that can be easily disseminated and implemented at and provides many additional benefits. For example, school and community levels, encouraging planning, instead of investing in massive infrastructure, the city simulation drills, and community participation in early of Curitiba, Brazil, decided to implement floodplain warning, disaster response, and recovery. regulations and tax incentives for protection of green space and restricted land occupation in flood-prone ar- eas of the city. It created retention ponds, parks, and Risk transfer and insurance mechanisms recreational areas along the main river that are widely Due to the increase in frequency and intensity of flood used by the population. disasters, it is important to design mechanisms to fi- nance relief and recovery investments. Opportunities can be explored for the gradual implementation of ef- Institutional emergency coordination at fective risk transfer mechanisms to reduce impacts of the government and community levels disasters and to support individuals to expedite recov- Strengthening the coordination principles for flood di- ery from flood events. Insurance mechanisms should be saster response and recovery focuses on the role of lo- designed in a way that they encourage beneficiaries to cal authorities, communities, and other locally relevant avoid occupation of high-risk areas, comply with build- stakeholders. In the process, it is essential to build the ing standards, and further implement flood-proofing capacity of these stakeholders to build resilience and be and other mitigation measures. When a disaster oc- able to more effectively respond to future disasters. Re- curs, the key concern is what to do, how to do it, and ducing vulnerability to floods and disaster needs to be how to fund it. Funds are needed immediately. Con- taken seriously by all appropriate sectoral ministries, es- tingency funds enable timely and adequate financial pecially those involved in infrastructure investments and resources for emergency purposes. In this regard, it is planning. Communities should be an integral part of any recommended that the government consider the es- flood risk management program. The participation and tablishment of a Development Policy Loan with a Cata- involvement of the community are essential, since the ef- strophic Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT DDO) (see fects of a disaster are first felt at the level of the communi- appendix 8 for more information) to ensure adequate ty, and the community is the first to respond to a disaster. resources are available just after the occurrence of a Usually, the greatest numbers of lives are saved during the natural disaster. first few hours after a disaster occurs, before outsiders arrive. Communities that are prepared are better able to Action Plan provide an effective response and to reduce the impact of a disaster. Involvement of local people promotes self- Based on the above analysis and key recommenda- reliance and ensures that emergency management plans tions, a possible implementation plan includes the fol- meet local needs and circumstances. lowing short- to long-term actions: Emergency preparedness and response Short-Term Actions (1 Year) Flood forecasts are just a small piece in the early warn- ■■ Repair and clean up the damaged houses and infra- ing chain. In case of flash floods, such systems play structure, including roads, drainages, schools, and a very crucial role in saving lives. A successful warn- police station, and recover agriculture production. ing system not only depends on forecasts, but has to ■■ Conduct a workshop to assess the effectiveness, connect many specialties and organizations, including efficiency, strengths, and weaknesses of the Janu- CHAPTER 3 conclusion and recommendations 45 ary flood response system with all the stakeholders, ■■ Invest in essential infrastructure for maintenance and make improvements for the national response of transport/roads, including upgrade of bitumen mechanism. plant(s). ■■ Conduct a vulnerability assessment of existing infra- ■■ Relocate key public buildings to higher ground (e.g., structure, such as bridges, roads, channels, and solid Pointe Larue School). waste management plants. ■■ Conduct an assessment of the level of integration of ■■ To reduce risk of flooding, disaster risk measures, particularly regarding climate • develop or update the drainage master plan for change adaptation, into the current sectoral plans. each district for flood-prone areas, and ■■ Develop new risk-based building codes and strength- • ensure the effectiveness of operation and en training and enforcement. maintenance of the drainage network, as well as ■■ Prepare floodplain land use guidelines and laws; efficient coordination between agencies. implement and enforce preventive land use plans. ■■ Develop national multirisk mapping, including flood, ■■ Mainstream disaster risk management in all sectoral landslide, rockslide, and mudslide risk. management plans, particularly urban development ■■ Develop a community emergency response plan, a and land management (the current land use zoning contingency plan, and evacuation toolkits, including plan can be potentially updated after the geological communication strategy development and training risk survey is completed). of community-level first responders. ■■ Prepare a report on the economic evaluation of eco- system services, particularly with regard to vulner- ■■ Conduct institutional function review related to di- ability related to climate change. saster risk management. ■■ Identify capacity gaps and provide tailored training ■■ Identify legal gaps in national flood policies and for staff in key ministries in disaster risk manage- laws. ment and response. ■■ Prepare and disseminate information on cost-effec- ■■ Establish additional meteorological stations outside tive flood-proofing techniques. the flood-prone area. ■■ Review opportunities for flood risk financing. ■■ Strengthen disaster monitoring and early warning systems. Medium- to Long-Term Actions (1–5 ■■ Raise awareness of flood risks and vulnerabilities. Years) ■■ Implement risk financing mechanisms with incen- ■■ Prepare an integrated national disaster risk manage- tives for compliance with flood control. ment plan. ■■ Adopt a revised flood management legal frame- work. 46 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Appendix 1. Satellite Image of Standing Water after the Flood Severe Production Date: Local Storm 07/03/2013 Areas of standing wateer, Mahé Island, Seychelles Y ! Version 1.0 Glide Number: ST20130212SYC Analysis with GeoEye-1 Data Acquired 5 February, 13 February, and 16 February 2013 Map Extent F Victoria ¦ ¥ ¬ SE Port YC Glaud HE Au LL Cap Bel De Quincey ES Ombre Village Estimated water extent 14,497 m2 L ! Victoria This map illustrates satellite-detected areas of standing water observed on Mahé Island, Seychelles, in 12 separate GeoEye-1 images collected on 5 February, 13 February, and 16 February 2013. Though these images were very cloudy UNITAR/UNOSAT reviewed them all for indications of standing water and also produced a cumulative cloud mask to indicate which portions of the island were completely cloud obscured. A total of 28 separate standing water bodies were identified, totalling 41,025 ¥ ¦ ¬ square meters and averaging 1,465 square meters in size. This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet Port been validated in the field. Please send ground Glaud feedback to UNITAR / UNOSAT. LEGEND Estimated water extent 1,389 m2 ! I Main Airport Primary Rd. L ! Port Secondary Rd. Urban Rd./ ¦ ¥ ¬ Capital Footpath Misere Estimated Mahe water extent Populated Place Elevation (m) 2,686 m2 High : 4000 Estimated water extent Estimated 1,651 m2 water extent Cascade Low : 0 5,210 m2 STANDING WATER EXTENT ANALYSIS (Satellite-Based Analysis) Probable Analysis Extent Standing Water Estimated water extent 2,486 m2 I ! Seychelles International Cloud Obscured Airport Area Estimated water extent I ! 10,790 m2 Estimated Map Scale for A3: 1:71,000 water extent Km Anse L'Esperance 1,785 m2 Estimated 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 Boileau water extent 523 m2 Disaster coverage by the International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters'. For more information on the Charter, which is about assisting the disaster relief organizations with multi- satellite data and information, visit www.disasterscharter.org Satellite Data (1): GeoEye-1 Imagery Dates: 5 February 2013 Resolution: 50 cm Copyright: DigitalGlobe Source: US Geological Survey Satellite Data (2): GeoEye-1 Anse Imagery Date: 13 February 2013 Royale Copyright: DigitalGlobe Source: US Geological Survey Satellite Data (3): GeoEye-1 Imagery Date: 16 February 2013 Copyright: DigitalGlobe Source: US Geological Survey Road Data : Google Map Maker / OSM / ESRI Other Data: USGS, UNCS, NASA, NGA Analysis : UNITAR / UNOSAT Takamaka Production: UNITAR / UNOSAT Analysis conducted with ArcGIS v10.1 Coordinate System: World Robinson Projection: Robinson Datum: WGS 1984 Units: Meter The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown here are not warranted to be error-free nor do they imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. UNOSAT is a program of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), providing satellite imagery and related geographic information, research and analysis to UN humanitarian and development agencies and their implementing partners. This work by UNITAR/UNOSAT is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Co n t ac t In fo r m a tio n : u n o s a t@ u n i ta r.o r g 24 /7 H o tli n e: + 4 1 76 4 8 7 4 99 8 w w w.u n ita r.o r g /u n o s a t Source: UNOSAT. APPENDIX 2 47 Appendix 2. DaLA Training Attendee List Ministry/ Department Name Post title Email Phone Denis Rose PS denis@macs.sc 2722600 Marie-Celine Vidot DG Community Development mcvidot@gov.sc 4283231 Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development, Sandra Sabury Project Superintendent s.sabury@cdysc.gov.sc 2724169 and Sports/Community Daniel Adeline Principal Project Officer dadeline@gov.sc 2722724 Development Davey Volcere Office Manager mtfleuriaom@gov.sc 2781536 Robert George Attaché rgeorge@gov.sc 2722573 Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development, and Tessa Siu Senior Research Officer tsiu@gov.sc 2571679 Sports/Gender Secretariat Ministry of Environment/EIA Marie-Alise Rosette  Assistant Project Officer m.rosette@env.gov.sc 2722486 Section Frank Moumou Assistant Project Officer f.moumou@env.gov.sc 2722121 Pughazendhi Senior Project Officer p.murugaiyan@env.gov.sc Ministry of Environment/CAAI Murugaiyan Nigel Simeon Inspector n.simeon@env.gov.sc 2723441 Paul Labaleine DG plabaleine@gov.sc 2722101 Cliff Alissop Senior Coordinator calissop@gov.sc 2722171 Ministry of Environment/ Regina Prosper Coordinator reggah9@hotmail.com 2727068 DRDM Veronique Baker Senior Coordinator veroniquebaker@yahoo.com 2797305 Divina Sabino Project Officer d.sabino@gov.sc 2722506 National Bureau of Statistics Therese Gopal  Director, GIS therese@nbs.gov.sc 4611666 DG, Infrastructure and Ministry of Education Charles Confait cconfait@eduhq.edu.sc 4283231 Resource Planning Ministry of Finance Seylina Verghese Senior Finance Analyst sverghese@finance.gov.sc 4382061 Director General, External Elizabeth Charles elizabethcharles@finance.gov.sc 2723430 Finance Management Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nan Constant Economist NConstant@mfa.gov.sc 4283604 SACOS (private insurance Michel Bristol Civil Engineer michel.bristol@sacos.sc 2729915 company) Ministry of Land Use and  Michel Laporte  DCM mlaporte@mluh.gov.sc 2722587 Habitat  Shobha Hajarnis  DG Public Health Shobha.Hajarnis@health.gov.sc 2722298 Ministry of Health  Vincent Amelie  Principal Meteorologist v.amelie@meteo.gov.sc 2722957 Keven Furneau k.furneau@hsi.sc 4280404 Dave Malcouzane EPR Coordinator Assistant dmaczone@gmail.com/ dmaczane@gmail.com 2595852 Jones Madeleine Station Officer jfmad2@yahoo.com 2724631 SFRSA Tally Domingue Substation Officer commandcentre@seychelles.net 2594506 SPDF Franky Hoareau Captain frankyhoareau@gmail.com 2722990 Linetta Joubert Principal Officer ljoubert@gov.sc 2722299 SAA (Estico) Terry Mancienne Statistician tmancienne@gov.sc 2778070 UNDP Preethi Nair Project Officer preethi.sushil@undp.org 2523540 Florian Rock Consultant frock@gov.sc 2548874 WHO Cornelia Atsyor WLO atsyorc@sc.afro.who.int 4224795 SLTA Parinda Herath CEO pherath@slta.sc 2722007 48 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Appendix 3. Seychelles’ Vulnerability rect losses were estimated to have been in the region to Climate Change of US$ 86.7 million (Government of Seychelles 2004). Cyclone Bondo in 2006 had a maximum wind speed of Extreme Weather Events 287 km/hr within the Farquhar island group (11.1oS). It was the first category 5 storm to make landfall in the Tropical Cyclones Seychelles in 56 years. Tropical cyclone Felleng (figure Four intense tropical depressions have affected the A3.1) impacted primarily the islands of Mahé and La Seychelles in recent times: tropical depression Ikonjo Digue and caused significant damage. in May 1990, the tropical storm of September 9–12, 2002, cyclone Bondo in December 2006, and the Trends tropical cyclone Felleng of January 27–28, 2013. The Generally, the equatorial region has been free from the September 2002 storm had a maximum wind speed of impact of tropical cyclones, but it is believed that with 120 km/hr in the form of a very local ‘microburst’ on global warming, anomalous warming will probably ex- the island of Praslin and caused exceptional damage to tend into the lower latitude. Thus, conditions would biodiversity, general infrastructure, and houses when become more favorable for low-latitude cyclonic devel- it made landfall. The total measurable direct and indi- opment, and recent events are proof of that. Figure A3.1 Satellite Imagery: Active Clouds Associated with Tropical Cyclone Felleng Affecting Mahé and Some of the Inner Islands on January 28, 2013 Source: Seychelles Meteorological Services 2013. appendix 3 49 Figure A3.2 Time Series of Pointe Larue Monthly Observed Sea-Level Anomaly Point La Rue 04 40S 055 32E Seychelles 1993–2006 30 20 10 cm 0 -10 -20 -30 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 Source: University of Hawaii. Note: The red curve represents smooth sea level. Sea-Level Rise a similar positive trend. The local sea-level rise is also consistent with the global average sea-level rise, with Sea-level variability in the last few years has also been an average rate of +1.8 mm (1.3 to 2.3 mm) per year influenced by extreme equatorial and mid-latitude over the 1961 to 2003 period. generated storm surge and swells. Sea-level monitor- ing in the Seychelles began in 1993 (figure A3.2). The sea-level variability in the last few years has also been influenced by extreme equatorial and mid-lati- Status tude generated storm surges and swells, as was the Recently, there has been a notable increase in the gra- case with cyclone Bondo in December 2006 and the dient of the mean sea-level slope, as highlighted by an latest high-wave event, which unfolded over May 13– arrow on the sea-level time series (figure A3.2). From 20, 2007. 2002 to 2006, there were five instances when sea-level anomaly exceeded +10 cm. Consequently, although not properly documented, there have been increased Rainfall Trends reports of coastal impacts. Annual rainfall anomaly trends on Mahé for the pe- riod 1972 to 2006 are upward by 13.7 mm per year, Trends indicating a wetter climate. However, these trends may Chang-Seng (2007) suggests an annual sea-level have been distorted by heavy rainfall events rather trend anomaly of +1.46 mm (± 2.11 mm) per year on than subtle changes in rainfall. The effects of the El Mahé Island (figure A3.3), which is very close to Ra- Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are also observed, in goonaden’s (2006) estimate of +1.69 mm/year. Most particular in 1998, when it caused mass coral bleach- stations in the southwest Indian Ocean are reporting ing and significant damage to the Seychelles’ economy. 50 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Figure A3.3 Time Series of Mahé Island Monthly Sea-Level Anomaly SLA = + 0.1426x – 284.91 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Projection Nation 1998). Noticeable changes in the wave energy reaching the shores have occurred during the past de- The Seychelles is highly vulnerable to climate change. cade. Greater wave energy results in greater erosion It is concluded that it is likely (50–80%) that rainfall for of the beaches. Climate change will exacerbate these the December–February season and the annual rainfall problems and lead to further destabilization of the will increase, and it is unlikely to increase in the June– coastline. August season (20–40%). Flooding in the low-lying areas is already becoming In addition, as indicated by the recent event in late more pronounced, especially with the occurrence of January, trends over the past years indicate that the storms that coincide with the spring tides. The recent Seychelles is becoming subject to more erratic rainfall floods fit within this pattern and were further com- patterns with short bursts of intense rain in hourly peri- pounded by the lack of appropriate drainage and high- ods rather than more extended periods of steady rain- density developments (as discussed in the section on fall over 2–3 days. This pattern may have contributed damage and losses in the environment sector). to the recent flooding of January 27–28, 2013, which included flooding in low-lying areas, landslides, and Trends contaminated runoff breaking through natural barriers along the coast to the beaches and the coastal zone. Erosion along some of the coastlines has caused the roots of existing coastal vegetation to be denuded, as is the case at Anse Sevère on La Digue, and as a result, Coastal Inundation and Erosion breaks at certain spots and beach cliffs are formed. Seychelles’ coastal zones are under almost constant Similar effects have been seen on Mahé at Anse aux pressure from both natural and man-made causes. Pins beach as a result of the recent disaster. Anse Kerlan on Praslin is a case in which human in- terference has completely destabilized the coastline. Erosion-sensitive sites on Mahé and Praslin are being lost at an average of between 1 and 3 meters per year (Tsunami Disaster Task Force 2005 and the Seychelles’ appendix 4 51 Appendix 4. Damages and Losses for Police Services Sector Damages or losses Location Description Cost (SR) Total (SR) Two large wooden shelves 16,000 One big wooden locker 4,000 Seven office desks 31,500 One container 9,000 Police Station One refrigerator 7,900 Anse aux Pins One deep freezer 8,000 Three wooden doors 4,500 Two extension bars 600 Subtotal 81,500 Police services Damage Police Station Anse Fifteen corrugated iron sheets plus 19,000 156,300 Royale Screws Twenty-seven sheets of plywood 5,400 Subtotal 24,400 Three desks 22,500 One fridge 7,900 Police Station One wooden locker 4,000 Five wooden chairs 4,000 Pointe Larue One large cabinet 12,000 Subtotal 50,400 52 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Appendix 5. Detailed Calculation of Needs for the Education Sector Type of school Damage Losses     Crèche Primary Secondary in SR in SR POINTE LARUE   No. of Schools partially damaged 1 1 1     Estimation of damage 400,000 200,000 1,370,000 1,970,000   Education materials—science equipment     120,000 120,000   Furniture     450,000 450,000   Damaged wall 400,000     400,000   Damaged ground   500,000 500,000   Damaged sewage line 200,000   200,000   Damaged sewage line and piping   300,000 300,000   Estimation of losses 190,000 190,000   380,000  Outsourcing extra cleaning agencies Costs for cleaning/fumigation 15,000 15,000   30,000 Unblocking of septic tank 75,000 75,000   150,000 Damaged gutters and accessories 100,000 100,000   200,000 ANSE AUX PINS  No. Schools partially damaged 1       Estimation of damage 575,000   575,000  Damaged of gutters 75,000   75,000   Damaged of septic tank 500,000   500,000   Estimation of losses 90,000   90,000  Outsourcing extra cleaning agencies Costs for cleaning/fumigation 15,000     15,000 Unblocking of septic tank 75,000     75,000 AUX CAP  No. of Schools partially damaged 1       Estimation of damage         Estimation of losses 190,000 190,000 Outsourcing extra cleaning agencies Costs for cleaning/fumigation 15,000     15,000 Unblocking of septic tank 75,000     75,000 Damaged gutters and accessories 100,000     100,000 Total value     2,545,000 660,000 Source: Ministry of Education, 2013 APPENDIX 6 53 Appendix 6. DRDM Personnel Status Post title Qualifications Work experience Currently pursuing MSc in Disaster & Crisis Senior Coordinator of DRDM 3 years Management District Administrator and Regional Emergency Director General Diploma in Disaster & Crisis Management Coordinator (13 years) Paramilitary (15 years) Currently pursuing certificate in Office Senior Office Management Assistant City & Guilds Certificate in Secretarial Studies Senior Coordinator Diploma in Forestry Forester (14 years) Advanced Diploma in Occupational Health and Health and Safety Officer (3.5 years) Senior Coordinator Safety Laboratory Technician (5 years) Diploma in Environmental Health and Safety Emergency Care/Paramedics Paramedic (2 years) Coordinator Certificate in Intermediate Iridology Personal Assistant of Director General Assistant to Doctor for alternate medicine (1 year) Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Science Project Officer (1 year 6 months) Project Officer & Technology HR supervisor (2 years) BSc in Geography Source: DRDM, 2013 54 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Appendix 7. Detailed Expenses for DRDM Date (Jan– Feb 2013) Item Description Qty. Total (SR) 27 Lunch and dinner 8,000 28–30 Sandwiches Supplied to EOC and all first-responder agencies’ staff on site 36,950 31–4 Sandwiches Supplied to EOC and all first-responder agencies’ staff on site 21,500 5–8 Sandwiches Supplied to EOC and all first-responder agencies’ staff on site 7,475 28–29 Lunch and dinner EOC and on-site staff 98 4,900 30 Lunch and dinner EOC and on-site staff 80 4,000 27–2 Car hire Support for SLTA 3 8,100 27–7 DRDM consultant Site assessment/reports 12,500 27 Zil Air Mahé Aerial (Minister X2 persons) 17,311 31 Air Mahé–La Digue–Mahé (Minister X3 persons) 16,400 Cat Cocos Ferry Trip to Praslin 15 3,150 Groceries Tea, juices, snacks for EOC and support staff 6,056 Ferry Mahé–La Digue 315 Snacks and water On-site SFRSA staff 1,100 Fuel 145 27–28 Lunch and dinner DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 270 12,810 Boots DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 30 5,250 Torches (rechargeable/ big) DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 10 6,500 Raincoats (medium) DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 10 2,250 Raincoats (large) DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 10 2,750 Torches DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 10 2,500 Batteries DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 60 300 Raincoats DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 30 6,725 Bottled water DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 2,046 Mosquito repellent DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 144 7,724 Long-sleeved shirts (men’s) DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 60 9,000 Gloves, raincoats, boots DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 59,932 Router To increase capacity of DRDM EOC 2,500 Repair of PCs DRDM 4 5,000 Fuel DRDM supply fuel coupons to all first-responder agencies 25,000 Spades/shovels DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 8,050 Peaceful sleep mosquito repellent DRDM/SFRSA and EOC 24 3,000 cream La Digue accommodation Group 1 = 350 x 9 x 7 = 22,050 (350/day/person) Group 2 = 350 x 9 x 7 = 22,050 53,900 Group 3 = 350 x 7 x 4= 9,800 Staff round trips between Mahé SFRSA 150,000 and La Digue Coral fill SFRSA 92,000 Transportation of equipment SFRSA 15,000 Mahé–La Digue Total expenses 620,139 Source: DRDM, 2013 APPENDIX 8 55 Appendix 8. Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred At a Glance Drawdown Option (CAT DDO) ■■ Provides immediate liquidity following a natural The Development Policy Loan with Catastrophe De- disaster, in the form of a contingent loan ferred Drawdown Option (CAT DDO) is a contingent ■■ Three-year disbursement period, renewable up credit line that provides immediate liquidity to IBRD to four times member countries in the aftermath of a natural di- saster. It is part of a broad spectrum of World Bank ■■ Focuses on developing countries’ ex-ante Group disaster risk financing instruments available to capacity to manage natural disaster risk assist borrowers in planning efficient responses to cat- ■■ Country must have a disaster risk management astrophic events. program in place The CAT DDO helps develop a country’s capacity to manage the risk of natural disasters and should be part The CAT DDO has a revolving feature: amounts repaid of a broader preventive disaster risk management strat- during the drawdown period are available for subse- egy. Governments determine the mix of disaster risk quent withdrawal. The three-year drawdown period financing instruments based on an assessment of risks, may be renewed up to four times, for a total maximum desired coverage, available budget, and cost efficiency. period of 15 years. The CAT DDO complements existing market-based di- saster risk financing instruments such as insurance, ca- tastrophe bonds, reserve funds, etc. Pricing Considerations The CAT DDO carries a LIBOR-based interest rate that In order to gain access to financing, the borrower must is charged on disbursed and outstanding amounts. The implement a disaster risk management program, which interest rate will be the prevailing rate for IBRD loans the Bank will monitor on a periodic basis. at the time of drawdown. A front-end fee of 0.50% on the approved loan amount and a renewal fee of 0.25% also apply. Key Features The CAT DDO offers a source of immediate liquidity The CAT DDO provides an affordable source of contin- that can serve as bridge financing while other sources gent credit for governments to finance recurrent losses (e.g., concessional funding, bilateral aid, or reconstruc- caused by natural disasters. The expected net present tion loans) are being mobilized after a natural disaster. value of the cost of the CAT DDO is estimated to be at Borrowers have access to financing in amounts up to least 30% lower than the cost of insurance for medium US$500 million or 0.25% of GDP (whichever is less).3 risk layers (that is, a disaster occurring once every three years). This cost saving can be even higher when the The CAT DDO has a “soft� trigger, as opposed to a country’s opportunity cost of capital is greater. The CAT “parametric� trigger, which means that funds become DDO ensures that the government will have immediate available for disbursement upon the occurrence of a access to bridge financing following a disaster, which is when a government’s postdisaster liquidity constraints natural disaster resulting in the declaration of a state are highest. It should be complemented with disaster of emergency (Table A8.1). 3 For small island countries, the amount can be adjusted, risk transfer instruments (such as catastrophe risk in- depending on the country conditions. surance or catastrophe bonds) for high risk layers. 56 Seychelles Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DaLA) 2013 Floods Table A8.1 Major Terms and Conditions of the Catastrophe Risk Deferred Drawdown Option Major terms and conditions of the Catastrophe Risk Deferred Drawdown Option To enhance/develop the capacity of borrowers to manage catastrophe risk. Purpose To provide immediate liquidity to fill the budget gap after a natural disaster. To safeguard ongoing development programs. Eligibility All IBRD-eligible borrowers (upon meeting pre-approval criteria) Appropriate macroeconomic policy framework. Pre-approval criteria The preparation or existence of a disaster risk management program. Loan currency EUR, JPY, and USD. Up to the full loan amount is available for disbursement at any time within three years from Drawdown loan signing. Drawdown period may be renewed up to a maximum of four extensions. Must be determined upon commitment and may be modified upon drawdown within Repayment terms prevailing maturity policy limits. Like regular IBRD loans, the lending rate consists of a variable base rate plus a spread. The lending rate is reset semi-annually, on each interest payment date, and applies to interest Lending rate periods beginning on those dates. The base rate is the value of the 6-month LIBOR at the start of an interest period for most currencies, or a recognized commercial bank floating rate reference for others. The prevailing spread, either fixed or variable, for regular IBRD loans at time of each drawdown. 1. Fixed for the life of the loan: Consists of IBRD’s projected funding cost margin relative to LIBOR, plus IBRD’s contractual spread of 0.50%, a risk premium, a maturity premium for loans with average maturities greater than 12 years, and a basis swap adjustment for non- USD loans. Lending rate spread 2. Variable resets semi-annually: Consists of IBRD’s average cost margin on related funding relative to LIBOR plus IBRD’s contractual spread of 0.50% and a maturity premium for loans with average maturities greater than 12 years. The variable spread is recalculated January 1 and July 1 of each year. The calculation of the average maturity of DDOs begins at loan effectiveness for the determination of the applicable maturity premium, but at withdrawal for the remaining components of the spread. 0.50% of the loan amount is due within 60 days of effectiveness date; may be financed out Front-end fee of loan proceeds. Renewal fee 0.25% of the undisbursed balance Currency conversions, interest Same as regular IBRD loans. rate conversions, caps, collars, payment dates, conversion fees, prepayments Country limit: maximum size of 0.25% of GDP or the equivalent of US$500 million, whichever Other features is less. Source: World Bank. Seychelles Ministry of Finance Seychelles Division of Risk and World Bank Madagascar Liberty House, P.O Box 313 Disaster Management Country Office Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles Global Village, Mont Fleuri, Mahé, 1 Rue Andriamifidy BP 4140 Telephone: (+248) 38 20 00 Seychelles Antananarivo 101, Madagascar Fax: (+248) 22 58 93 Telephone: (+248) 467 2200 Telephone: (+261) 20 22 516 73 Email: ps@finance.gov.sc Faxt: (+248) 461 0131 Email: erabemananoro@worldbank.org Email: drdm@gov.sc