Zanzibar says strengthening cooperation among Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the south-western Indian Ocean remains crucial in protecting its endangered environment.
Zanzibar First Vice-President, Mr Seif Sharif Hamad
Comoros, Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zanzibar are the Indian Ocean small countries forming SIDS, which have working together since 2005 to minimize negative impacts of climate change and to protect the environment.
In a brief meeting with SIDS delegation from Seychelles, Zanzibar First Vice-President, Mr Seif Sharif Hamad, said each country cannot work alone because “all the islands in the region share the same concerns when it comes to preserving and protecting their natural and living environment.”
According to the First Vice-President’s press officer, Mr Hassan Hamad, the SIDS delegation, led by Ronald Jumeau, was in Zanzibar to brief the authorities on the SIDS general meeting planned to take place in Samoa island next year. The SIDS delegation also met with the Minister of State (Environment), Ms Fatma Abdulhabib Fereji.
The First Vice-President’s Office is responsible for environment protection. In January 2005, 129 countries and territories met in Mauritius under the aegis of the United Nations and adopted a sustainable development strategy for small island states.
The strategy, known as the Mauritius Strategy, covers the period from 2005 to 2015 and is designed to deal specifically and exclusively with the unique development problems of the island nations. The strategy, which includes raising public awareness on afforestation, coral reef protection, the fight against coastal erosion, and water management, is being implemented by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).
By ISSA YUSSUF, Tanzania Daily News
