āItās important to know what resources Seychelles hasā
President Wavel Ramkalawan says fossil fuel exploration is not climate blackmail
Itās important for Seychelles to know whether or not it has fossil fuel reserves ā and from there āwe will see where we goā, the countryās President has said.
The country had signed a deal with a Canadian firm to explore the extent of oil reserves in the ocean near the island nation.
āAfrica is saying to the world āyes you want us to preserve the environment,ā said President Ramkalawan. āBut at the same time the guy in west Africa will not die hungry under his rosewood tree to preserve it. At some point he will cut down that rosewood tree.ā
Seychelles is a small island nation off the coast of Kenya. Many of the low lying islands run the risk of being affected by climate change and rising sea levels.
However the country says it needs more help from the international community to adapt.
In an interview at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt in 2022, President Ramkalawan said Seychelles isnāt interested in pursuing oil exploitation but āunless you have cards these days, you arenāt taken seriouslyā.
