LocationsA vital priority for the country, Africa, and the world
Protecting biodiversity in Comoros
October 29, 2024
Boundouni Lake in Moheli Park, the first nature reserve in the Comoros Archipelago, was created with the support of UNDP through funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and later backed by the French Development Agency.
Photo: Agence Parcs nationaux des Comores
As the planet faces unprecedented environmental challenges, the protection of biodiversity has become a global imperative. The Union of Comoros, with its unique ecosystems, plays a critical role in this fight. Recognized as one of the 25 global biodiversity hotspots by Conservation International and one of 35 critical regions by WWF, Comoros is not just a national treasure, but also a vital heritage for Africa and the world.
Its ecosystems play a key role in regulating the climate, preserving natural resources, and providing essential services that support life on Earth. In the context of this year’s three international Conferences of the Parties, the COP16 on biodiversity, the COP29 on climate, and the COP16 on combating desertification, Comoros’s sustainable biodiversity management will send a powerful message to the global community, that the fight against climate change and the preservation of natural resources are inseparable. What Comoros is achieving in protecting its ecosystems has a direct impact on the rest of the continent, Asia, and beyond.
To address the growing pressures from climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable fishing, the Comorian government has made ambitious commitments through the Comoros Emerging Plan 2030.
It aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent and increase its CO2 absorption capacity by 47 percent by 2030. This ambitious ecological transition, positioning Comoros as a carbon sink, is supported by UNDP and the French Development Agency (AFD).
With funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), UNDP and AFD are strengthening the country’s ability to meet its environmental targets on sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, the blue and green economy, and universal access to clean water, while also improving the living conditions of local communities.
Success of Moheli National Park
A notable example is Moheli National Park. Created with the support of UNDP through GEF funding and later backed by AFD, it was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2020.
Moheli Park, the first UNESCO-recognized area in Comoros.
Photo: Agence Parcs nationaux des Comores
The park is internationally recognized as the world's leading nesting site for sea turtles, with 30,000 landings each year. This success also highlights the essential role of local communities in preserving their environment, a recognition underscored by the Equator Prize awarded to Moheli in 2002.
Tens of thousands of green turtles nest each year on the five beaches that make up the Itsamia coastline in Moheli Park.
Photo: Agence Parcs nationaux des Comores
Ambitious projects
Today, the partnership between UNDP and AFD continues through three projects: the UNDP/GEF Biodiversity Project, the GEF-funded Blue Green Island project, and the AFD-funded ULANGA MALI project, supported by the European Union. These focus on protecting key ecosystems and transforming sectors such as tourism and food production to build a blue and green economy. The partnership also supports The Great Blue Wall, a continental initiative aimed at fostering a regenerative blue economy by creating sustainable development opportunities for local communities.
Eco-guards on patrol in the Moya forest in Anjouan, Comoros.
Photo: Agence Parcs nationaux des Comores
Persistence in the face of challenges
Comoros continues to face colossal environmental challenges. In the past 20 years it has lost 28 percent of its forest cover, and erosion has caused coastal areas to recede by 30 metres. The impact of increasingly extreme weather and global heating threaten biodiversity. Nevertheless, the efforts of local communities to manage their vital resources, which provide them with food, goods, and essential services, reflect a collective commitment to protecting this natural heritage.
Islets of Nioumachoi, Moheli, Comoros.
Photo: Agence Parcs nationaux des Comores
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