Indian Institute TERI to work with Seychelles on enhancing knowledge base

The Republic of Seychelles and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) would be working jointly towards a series of activities in the areas of climate change and sustainable development in the island nation.

The main areas of focus will be on sea level rise, renewable energy and energy efficiency in tourism industry, apart from building a broad knowledge-based partnership in spreading and sharing interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary academic expertise on issues related to climate change.

Seychelles like many other small island states remains vulnerable to the threats posed by global warming, and rising sea levels.

To give expression to the expansion and dynamism of this strategic partnership, an official delegation from the Republic of Seychelles headed by H.E. James Alix Michel, President of the Republic of Seychelles, met with Dr RK Pachauri, Director-General TERI and Chairman IPCC to discuss the way forward for spreading awareness regarding climate change, as well as the mitigation and adaptation processes.

The affiliation agenda includes:

1. Setting up a faculty in the University of Seychelles with the assistance of TERI University;

2. Organising of a major conference on the Climate Change challenges faced by the small island nations;

3. Knowledge-based collaboration on issues of Industrial Efficiency and Renewable Energy;

4. Developing a Nature Reserve in Seychelles

The President of Seychelles and Dr Pachauri agreed that meaningful progress in the areas of energy security and climate change should go beyond national, bilateral and multilateral efforts -- and in a manner that does not limit the possibilities of accelerated economic and social development, for which science, technology and academic cooperation are a critical part of the partnership.