VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Ile Aurore land reclamation project took a decisive step forward on Thursday as a landmark signing ceremony was held at State House, marking the beginning of a long-awaited dredging initiative aimed at addressing the country’s chronic shortage of land for housing, tourism, and economic development. Principal Secretary for Lands Denis Barbe signed the agreement with Filip Morobe, director for Africa and the Middle East for Jan De Nul Dredging Ltd, in the presence of President Patrick Herminie and Vice-President Sebastien Pillay.
The significance of the project for ordinary Seychellois cannot be overstated. The archipelago’s topography makes inland land development extremely difficult, and the existing quarry that supplies construction material has a finite lifespan. By creating a new sand stockpile of 500,000 cubic metres of mineral sand on Ile Aurore, the government aims to stabilise construction material prices and ease the housing crisis that has placed homeownership beyond the reach of many families.
The project will create more than 570,000 square metres of new land surface across three reclamation sites: the Ile Aurore extension, Zone 20 near the landfill, and Zone 5 near Pangia Beach, with the latter two forming part of Phase 2. Phase 1, estimated to cost approximately €15 million financed by the Government of Seychelles, covers the construction of coral-fill confinement bunds trimmed with geotextile and armoured with quarried graded rock. Phase 2 will involve reclaiming the confined areas using offshore sand to reach a top level of 3.5 metres above sea level, with each reclaimed area measuring just over 180,000 square metres. The sand will be managed through a dedicated control system including a weigh-bridge to ensure accountability.
President Herminie first announced the reclamation drive in his State of the Nation Address on January 27, 2026, underscoring it as a key infrastructure priority of the new administration. Seychelles has long grappled with the paradox of being a high-income small island state where land scarcity drives up both construction costs and property prices, leaving government and private developers competing for limited developable terrain.
Vice-President Pillay confirmed that all necessary environmental protection measures will be observed throughout the project, noting that comprehensive environmental impact studies were completed prior to commencement and that all construction plans must receive authorisation from the Seychelles Planning Authority. The government is also exploring additional projects of a similar nature, including the possible establishment of a new quarry site. The works will proceed in phases in line with approved plans.
The signing of the Ile Aurore dredging agreement signals the most concrete step yet towards resolving Seychelles’ persistent land and construction material shortage, a challenge that has constrained economic growth for decades.
📷 Image source: Office of the President — statehouse.gov.sc
