As part of this year’s youth engagement programme commemorating the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), the Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD) partnered with the Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) to organise an educational site visit under the St. Louis Hill Stabilisation Project.
The initiative aimed to bridge classroom learning with real-world application, giving Mechanical Engineering students the opportunity to see how their studies directly contribute to disaster risk reduction and slope stabilisation efforts in Seychelles. The initiative aimed to inspire and engage young Seychellois engineers by exposing them to real-life applications of disaster risk reduction and infrastructure resilience in Seychelles.
During the visit, students met with two members of the local technical team involved in the project — Mr. Jean-Luc Mondon, Geologist on the project and Mr. Simon Dugasse, Risk Management Officer from DRMD. They provided an in-depth explanation of the innovative mitigation measures implemented in Le Niol, St. Louis Hill (Upper and Retention Area), Bel Ombre, and Waterloo.
Following the presentation, the students visited the St. Louis Hill Retention Area, where they observed first-hand how mechanical engineering concepts are applied in slope stabilisation, drainage control, and landslide mitigation.
The youth engagement activity was facilitated by Ms. Jade Landry, Head of the Education, Research and Information (ERI) Unit at DRMD, as part of the Division’s broader effort to strengthen collaboration with educational institutions and promote a culture of disaster awareness among young people.
Ms. Landry highlighted the importance of this engagement, noting that it helps students link their academic knowledge with practical national priorities:
“This visit helped students connect what they learn in mechanical engineering with the practical aspects of disaster risk reduction,” she explained. “It encourages shared knowledge and experience from Swiss experts to local professionals, and from local experts to our future generation. It’s a move towards sustainability and ensuring resilience for generations to come, as it also opens the door for new innovation among our youths — the engineers and problem-solvers of tomorrow, which is also aligned with this year’s theme for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, ‘Fund Resilience, Not Disasters.’”
The St. Louis Hill Stabilisation Project, implemented in collaboration with Swiss partners Gasser Felstechnik AG, stands as a model of how international expertise and local capacity can work hand in hand to enhance slope stability and safeguard communities in high-risk areas.
Through initiatives like this, the DRMD continues to inspire and empower young Seychellois to take an active role in shaping a safer, more resilient, and sustainable Seychelles — ensuring that disaster risk reduction becomes not just a government priority, but a shared responsibility across generations.
