Comoros

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is included in the Comoros Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and is also institutionalized into the policies of the Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications and Tourism; Ministry of Health, Solidarity and Gender; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Industry, Craft and Environment; Ministry of National Education, Research, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports; and the Ministry of Land-Use Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Energy. Natural Risk and Vulnerability Assessments have been partially conducted in the Comoros.

The Comorian population is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, both ecological and anthropogenic, and its resources do not enable it to respond to disasters effectively. The Comoros is at risk for volcanic eruptions, cyclones and floods. As the majority of the population lives near the coast the effects of a tsunami would also be catastrophic, though one has yet to occur. There are neither early warning nor evacuation plans in place to mitigate damage in the case of a tsunami. Cyclones are the most common environmental hazard, occurring typically between November and April each year and creating 1,000 disaster victims on average annually. Volcanic eruptions have also occurred semi-regularly, and a government-sponsored National Volcanic Observatory has been established to monitor the country’s most active volcanoes. Eruptions occurred on Grande Comore in recent years, and such eruptions are often accompanied by earthquakes , landslides and explosions, often causing a shower of sand and ash that invades almost three quarters of the island. There have also been rapid movements of the population in response to these disasters. Hurricanes or tropical storms come every year with varying degrees of magnitude and cause enormous damage. They are the origin of floods that leave some families without shelter or sustenance. Cholera epidemics are common in the Comoros. Malaria is endemic and is the leading cause of mortality. Shipwrecks and airplane accidents are also common, with at least 100 people loosing their lives each year in illegal crossings between Anjouan and Mayotte.

In 2009, the Comoros submitted its Quatrieme Rapport National sur la Diversite Biologique (Fourth National Report on Biological Diversity)  to the Commission on Biological Diversity.

The coastline of the Comoros is highly varied with low hills, cliffs, islets and atolls. A variety of different materials make up these landscapes, including lava, black or white sand beaches, pebbles, blocks and coral reefs. The biological diversity of mangrove swamps, coral reefs, beaches, herbariums and underwater plants is enormous and constitutesa potential tourist attraction. Currently sand, coral and stone coastal mining for construction as well as mangrove destruction are underway. These activities cause environmental degradation and speed the process of coastal erosion. The richness and biodiversity of both marine and land resources is seriously threatened by various human activities as well as natural phenomena.To combat this process of degradation, several coastal villages have begun the construction of retaining walls. In addition, ecologically important sea-level habitats such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and beaches are threatened by changing climate conditions, and additional degradation has a direct link with the high population concentration and economic infrastructure along the coast. Other practices such as fishing by destructive means, pollution discharge from pesticides, and the dumping of sewage and solid waste all increase the vulnerability of marine biodiversity. At sea, fishing techniques such as the use of toxic substances or dynamite pollute the water with substances that are extremely harmful to marine ecosystems and contribute to over-fishing along the coast and the destruction of corals. Conversely, the sea is at once underused by local fishermen, who do not have the means or access to the appropriate technology to efficiently and safely make use of the Comoros’ rich marine resources.

The Comoros has created a National Commission for Sustainable Development as well as regional commissions based on each of the three main islands. The Comoros is currently drawing up of a program for combating land degradation through the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, as well as plans for the development of agro-forestry for improved management of soil fertility to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers.

The agricultural sector accounts for 40% of the Comoros’ GDP and employs a large percentage of the workforce. This is a source of vulnerability for the economy, as fragile soils vulnerable to erosion and tectonic instability coupled with zones of subsistence farming create a difficult climate for economic growth. High unemployment and high poverty rates persist, while comparatively high population growth, bad use of soils, inadequate institutional capacities and poor economic diversification add to this vulnerability. Traditional housing is made of cob or straw, which is not resistant to inclement weather, and is concentrated mainly in the coastal region. High population growth increases the need for land and drives deforestation to accommodate the population’s need for land suitable for housing, agriculture and construction. This leads to uncontrolled deforestation, loss of habitat and decreased fertility for some species, soil erosion, and drying rivers and water sources. These processes also take place in regions that would otherwise be good candidates to house future expansion of the tourism industry, which thereby erodes the future potential for success of this sector. Unemployment and poverty exacerbate this environmental degradation and natural resource exploitation. Implementation of a small UNDP grant project on land conservation is also underway in the Comoros.

The Comoros is not currently a member of the UNWTO, but in 1997 it did develop a tourism strategy. This strategy has since been updated and focuses on the benefits of eco-tourism to alleviate poverty.

Although the tourism industry is not well developed in the Comoros, 45 potential tourist sites have been identified and a master tourism plan has been prepared. Tourism is regarded as a sector with strong potential for economic growth and employment. As a cross-cutting sector, it impacts directly on other sectors such as transportation, the hotel industry, commerce, construction and public works enterprises, energy, agriculture, fishing, craft activities, and telecommunications. Currently, the hotel industry has a capacity of approximately 800 beds, well below that of other countries in the region. The quality of accommodation is also uneven, ranging from international comfort standards to the somewhat rudimentary facilities offered by establishments run by nonprofessionals and barely-trained personnel. The Comoros has only one training institute for the hotel industry. At the national and regional level, the Tourism Directorate and IOC/EU have provided support for training programs and seminars for young people. Tourism in the Comoros has evolved from business trips and expatriate visits in the 1980s to tourism for pleasure in the 1990s. Peaking in the early 2000s, tourism receipts have since declined due to changes in private operators in the tourism market and political instability. The government aims to increase tourism activities but is constrained by environmental degradation in some seaside areas, deterioration of public monuments and cultural sites, a lack of tourist infrastructure and transport options, expensive transport costs, and a lack of tourist offices and tourist guides.