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Seychelles - Paradise at Risk

April 22, 2022

Dream vacation or destination wedding - where better than Seychelles? The archipelago is especially popular with German tourists.

https://p.dw.com/p/4AHuP
Seychellen Bewölkter Strand
Image: Marcos Veiga/VWPics/imago images

But despite the island nation’s unique approach to nature conservation, this paradise is in danger.

This documentary showcases the archipelago in all its beauty, with rare animal species, white sand beaches... and the conservationists who are working hard to protect it all. Although Seychelles has just 0.13 percent of the land area of Germany, its new protected marine area is larger than the whole country. But climate change has severely impacted the archipelago, as it is often the smallest islands that are first to feel the consequences.

Storms and waves damage turtle nests and corals, while further eroding the islands’ coastlines. The country’s president Wavel Ramkalawan is also concerned. An ordained minister in the Anglican Church, Ramkalawan still preaches to this day. He tells us of the message he draws from the Bible in his fight to save the islands. 

We also learn about the various initiatives to rescue this tropical paradise. Coral nurseries help to revive damaged reefs. And seagrass plays a major role in combatting rising CO2 levels, as it stores more carbon than a forest of the same area. Seychelles and Mauritius share an expanse of seagrass larger than Switzerland. 

The president is calling on the international community to help cover the costs of all this, because revenue from tourism isn’t enough. And many tourists care too little about it. At their wedding photoshoot, a couple from Austria explains how beautiful and easy it is to get married in paradise. But for how much longer will this paradise exist?

Sylvana Antat Seychelles national park 2019
Süd-Atlantischer Ozean | Jonathan eine Seychellen-Riesenschildkröte
Image: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP
Luxusreisen | Seychellen
Image: Nikolai Okhitin/Zoonar/picture alliance

 

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW English

MON 25.04.2022 – 18:15 UTC
MON 25.04.2022 – 23:30 UTC
TUE 26.04.2022 – 03:30 UTC
TUE 26.04.2022 – 09:15 UTC
TUE 26.04.2022 – 12:30 UTC
TUE 26.03.2022 – 21:30 UTC
WED 27.04.2022 – 07:30 UTC
WED 27.04.2022 – 10:30 UTC

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TUE 26.04.2022 – 09:15 UTC
WED 27.04.2022 – 07:30 UTC

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