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The Chagos Conservation Trust, incorporating the Friends of the Chagos, is a charitable association, established in 1992, whose aims are to promote conservation, scientific and historical research, and to advance education concerning the archipelago. We are non political and would like interested people to join us.
The Chagos Archipelago is a group of coral atolls in the centre of the Indian Ocean, covering an area of 150X100 miles (250X150 Km). Its 55 islands comprise the British Indian Ocean Territory, and all are uninhabited except Diego Garcia.
Chagos Environment Network
At a meeting in the Linnean Society, London, on 22 April 2008, a new Chagos Environment Network was formed. Its present membership is:
the Chagos Conservation Trust, the Linnean Society, Pew Environmental Group, Prof, C Sheppard, the Royal Society, RSPB, Zoological Society of London.
BIOT/CHAGOS Conservation Framework Discussion Paper
CCT is currently in discussion with its partner organisations about the shared positive approach to future frameworks and measures for Chagos conservation and the relationship with possible good livelihoods for Chagossian people. A draft text under discussion is under Scientific Papers.
Comments on ‘Returning Home’ – A Proposal for the Resettlement of the Chagos Islands (Howell Report) The Howell Proposals for the Resettlement of the Chagos Islands, published in March 2008, are the subject of a detailed analysis by an expert group of scientists and other specialists in association with the Chagos Conservation Trust. The group welcomes the effort made in the Howell report to develop a concept for resettlement of returning Chagossians which places conservation at the heart. However the group notes that the report makes proposals for a non-Chagossian driven commercial and extractive development on a scale which is incompatible with conservation and with the British Government’s commitments relating to the globally important environment of the Territory. Of particular concern is the implicit creeping development and future expansion of activity. The locations of the proposed airport and tourist facility are inappropriate from a scientific, engineering and conservation point of view. Proposals for income generation are poorly developed and do not take sufficient account of experience elsewhere. At the same time, the Howell report does contain some ideas which could contribute to a very different strategy for a much smaller scale Chagossian return within a positive conservation framework. However, the report fails to emphasise that any resettled community will be at risk in the mid term due to flooding and freshwater depletion, and development impacts are likely to exacerbate these effects of climate change. To see the full text of the group’s comments on this website click on the link to Scientific Papers.
FOR FULL REPORT OF 36 PAGES GO TO SCIENTIFIC PAPERS
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