Natural hazards are increasingly occurring worldwide in the form of floods, landslides, forest fires, storms, earthquakes, and rockfalls. Acute crisis management is required, but so are long-term strategies for transportation routes, where Gasser Felstechnik provides assistance in the Seychelles.
Rockfall protection. All photos: Gasser/Degelo
On behalf of the Seychelles government, Gasser Felstechnik is training local stakeholders in natural hazard management. The goal is to enable the African island nation to manage natural risks independently. The Swiss specialists spent ten weeks on-site, imparting knowledge about management and practical construction techniques. This sustainable development project has already successfully contributed to increased safety in recent years .
Long-term strategy
Extreme rainfall in December 2023 led to landslides and rockfalls, claiming four lives and destroying numerous homes. Following the disaster, the Seychelles government decided to implement measures. Gasser Felstechnik was subsequently commissioned to develop a project plan for the sustainable management of natural hazards – the solution lay in transferring knowledge to local authorities and construction companies.
Rope safety training
group was formed around the Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD): five specialists from various departments and a member of parliament . The group paid a week-long working visit to Switzerland in March 2025 to learn more about the procedures.
Ten-week deployment on site
At the end of April, the ten-week project began on Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles. A four-person construction team, consisting of three rockfall protection specialists and a mechanic, along with Ruedi Degelo as project manager, traveled to the island. Their mission was to train the authorities and local construction workers in the practical implementation of protective measures against rockfalls and debris flows – and, in the process, to address the most pressing hazards.
On-site construction meeting
From the outset, the team was occupied with tasks at several disaster sites. The primary focus initially was on constructing a temporary access road to St. Louis Hill – a steep hill with transmission facilities and air surveillance on the summit and residential areas at its base.
Practical training
The shipped inventory and building materials, which were subsequently transferred from the Seychelles, had to be transported to the site on small vehicles. This was followed by initial training in equipment operation, occupational safety, and rope access techniques.
Building protection
In the rocky Bel Ombre area, individual blocks are temporarily netted to allow them to be split with a hand-held tool and extracted in a controlled manner. Working together with local laborers, 920 meters of anchors, 450 square meters of netting, and 200 meters of cable are being installed, and 50 cubic meters of rock are being removed.
Controlled rock extraction
On July 2nd, a master plan developed with the support of the Swiss team will be presented to the government – and fully approved. Part of the plan is the creation of an interdisciplinary task force for adequate natural hazard management. It is essential that this task force can now operate independently and with expertise within its budget.
This is a prerequisite for the knowledge imparted in the Seychelles to continue to grow and for the widespread natural hazards to be minimized independently. In the future, the Gasser rock climbing team will assume an advisory role, supplemented by partial practical support on site.
Honored by President W. Ramkalawan
On June 27, the official opening ceremony of the St. Louis Hill rockfall and debris flow barrier held with the participation of President Wavel Ramkalawan, Interior Minister Errol Fonseka, and Construction Minister Billy Rangasamy. President Ramkalawan will present course certificates to the participants, attesting to their successful completion of the training.
“Disaster relief often focuses on acute crisis management,” says Ruedi Degelo. “However, where further incidents are expected, this is not enough. If the local conditions are right, targeted knowledge transfer in prevention can be a more effective and sustainable approach. Private sector actors can also take on responsibility in this regard.”
The original report by Ruedi Degelo is here
