CS 2016 "Solid Waste Management in the Seychelles"

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Research Paper

Krütli, P., Pohl, C, & Stauffacher, M. (2018). Sustainability Learning Labs in Small Island Developing States. A Case Study of the Seychelles. GAIA 27/S1, 46 – 51. doi: external page 10.14512/gaia.27.S1.11
Meylan, Grégoire, Lai, Adelene, Hensley, John, Stauffacher, Michael & Pius Krütli (2018). Solid waste management of small island developing states—the case of the Seychelles: a systemic and collaborative study of Swiss and Seychellois students to support policy. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. doi: external page 10.1007/s11356-018-2139-3

Report

"Solid Waste Management in the Seychelles", USYS TdLab Transdisciplinary Case Study 2016.

Newspaper supplement

A Download summary of the report for the broad public in the Seychelles (PDF, 14.8 MB) was supplemented to the Seychelles newspaper "TODAY in Seychelles" on Monday, 24 July, 2017.

Topic

Enlarged view: Landfill on the Seychelles

Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a significant challenge for the Seychelles because landfilling, the currently employed waste management strategy, poses direct threats to the island nation’s specific weaknesses, through greenhouse gas production, consumption of scarce land, and leachate release to the nearby environment. However, due to the small scale of the Seychelles economy, there is little capital available to stimulate innovations in SWM. The focus of this case study was to understand the current SWM system in the Seychelles and to gain insights into the obstacles and opportunities related to waste reduction.

Research questions

The focus of the case study was to understand SWM in the Seychelles and to provide insights into waste reduction. To guide the study, the following overarching research questions have been proposed:

How does the current system operate? What are ecological risks and waste management challenges?
What are potential waste reduction strategies for stakeholders such as the government, consumers, and waste managers? What are obstacles preventing their implementation?
How could the future of waste management look like?

Coaches & leading persons

Dr Pius Krütli & Prof. Dr Michael Stauffacher (lead ETH)
Dr Justin Valentin (Dean of Faculty Business & Sustainable Development) & Rachel Onezime (co-lead UniSey)
Dr Karl Fleischmann (Pivot UniSey & co-teaching)
Denis Matatiken (Pivot Ministry of Environment & Energy)

Students

Julio Agricole (Uni Sey), Rossetta Alcindor (Uni Sey), Zarah Ally (Uni Sey), Emilie Augustin (Uni Sey), Simon Baumgartner (ETH Zurich), Krystel D’offay (Uni Sey), Megan Dine (Uni Sey), Irma Dubois (Uni Sey), Felix Elbert (ETH Zurich), Asha Emilien (Uni Sey), Lynndina Essack (Uni Sey), Jasmin Fetzer (ETH Zurich), Elisabeth Güttinger (ETH Zurich), Lisa Hämmerli (ETH Zurich), John Hensley (ETH Zurich), Lara Kalisch (Uni Sey), Adelene Lai (ETH Zurich), Yuna Madlein (Uni Sey), Rosabella Mangroo (Uni Sey), Marc Melliger (ETH Zurich), Sophie Morel (Uni Sey), Jessica Moumou (Uni Sey), David Müller (ETH Zurich), Danny Nef (ETH Zurich), Raina Nicette (Uni Sey), Catherina Onezia (Uni Sey), Olivia Pfister (ETH Zurich), Dillys Pouponeau (Uni Sey), Aisha Rachel (Uni Sey), Livia Ramseier (ETH Zurich), Till Schmid (ETH Zurich), Andrin Schulthess (ETH Zurich), Franziska Steinberger (ETH Zurich), Richard Thonig (ETH Zurich), Marius Wälchli (ETH Zurich), Vera Ziltener (ETH Zurich).

Collaboration between TdLab and partners in the Seychelles

The case study consisted of 18 ETH master’s students with diverse scientific backgrounds and 18 bachelor’s students at the University of Seychelles (UniSey). Research was conducted over six months, including a three-week field phase in the Seychelles. Researchers and teachers from ETH and UniSey guided students throughout the case study, which was supplemented by additional support from an advisory board of local experts. Students intensively engaged with a variety of stakeholders from government, administration, business, NGOs, and civil society. The Seychelles’ Ministry of Environment, Energy & Climate Change was major partner in this collaboration.

Local Advisory Board

Mr Alain de Comarmond, Dr Karl Fleischmann, Mr Tony Imaduwa, Ms Marie-May Jeremie, Mrs Nanette Laure, Dr Michelle Martin, Mr Denis Matatiken, Mr Lemmy Payet, Dr Marie-Therese Purvis, and Mrs Rachel Onezime

Scientific partners

Prof. Dr Gerhard Furrer, Prof. Dr Ruben Kretzschmar, Judith Maag, Dr Grégoire Meylan, Dr Bin Bin Pearce, Dr Michael Plötze, Christian Riuji Lohri, and Imanol Zabaleta

Support

Sandro Bösch, Maria Rey

Dates

Started on 24 February 2016 and met every Wednesday 13 –17h
2 block days in Zurich (15 –16 April)
3 block weeks in the Seychelles (23 June – 13 July)

Publications

Lai A., Hensley J., Krütli P., & Stauffacher M. (Eds.) (2016). Solid Waste Management in the Seychelles. USYS TdLab Transdisciplinary Case Study 2016. ETH Zürich, USYS TdLab.