Reunion Island

900 km east of Madagascar, Reunion Island is situated at the heart of the Indian Ocean. Reunion is one of France’s overseas departments, and thus part of the European Union. In fact, the island is the only European region in the southern hemisphere.
 Reunion consists of volcanic mountains rising from the depth of the ocean to 3070 m above sea level. The volcano Piton de la Fournaise in the island’s south is one of the most active in the world. The island’s slopes, peaks and canyons provide for breathtaking landscapes. Different microclimates have given rise to an extraordinary variety of natural habitats: 193 different types in total. Primary rainforests cover about 40% of the island’s surface. A coral reef extends along the coast.
Reunion is already one of the most densely populated regions in the European Union, with more than 300 inhabitants per km2. By 2025, the population is projected to reach 1 million. Climate change is expected to strongly increase the vulnerability of the island’s inhabitants and ecosystems, due to rising coastal erosion, the loss of coral reefs, changing weather patterns and so forth.

Official Reunion Tourism Website

Environmental policy on Reunion Island

Reunion Island has for many years been strongly committed to environmental protection. One of the greatest successes and indisputable highlights of Reunion is the National Park created in 2007, which covers more than 40% of the island’s interior in order to afford the prevailing natural habitats enhanced protection.

The programme “Reunion 2030” acknowledges the pioneering role that the island can play in the field of renewable energies. The goal is to reach energy autonomy by the year 2030 and set an international example. It takes on the challenge of sustainable development on an island with strong demographic, economic and urban pressures.

Conseil Régional de La Réunion

Documents on the projects of the Regional Council of Reunion Island (in French):

• Paul Vergès, Président de la Région Réunion: "La Réunion est un laboratoire des problèmes du monde”
• Plan Réunionnais de Développement Durable
• Plan Régional des Energies Renouvelables et d’Utilisation Rationnelle de l’Energie
• Le Tram Train de L’ile de La Reunion
• Maison des Civilisations et de l’Unité Réunionnaise
• La Région Réunion pour un développement durable et solidaire
• Mise en place d’une station de réception et de traitement d’images satellites à la Réunion
• Net-Biome
• Autonomie énergétique de La Réunion à l’horizon 2025
• Gouvernance pour un développement durable à la Réunion
• La Région Réunion, leader dans le domaine du développement durable
• Description du Projet régional d’adaptation au changement climatique dans les pays de l’océan Indien

Documents on the projects of the Prefecture of the Region Reunion (in French):

• Le Grenelle de l’Environnement à la Réunion : Réussir l’Innovation (Concept)
• Le Grenelle de l’Environnement à la Réunion : Réussir l’Innovation (Déroulé opérationnel)
• Le Grenelle de l’Environnement à la Réunion : Réussir l’Innovation (Synthèse)
• Le Grenelle de l’Environnement à la Réunion : Réussir l’Innovation (De Natura)