Environmental Treasures and Threats

Réunion's dramatic landscape—40% protected as World Heritage site—faces mounting pressures. Climate change brings: - Intensifying cyclones - Coral reef degradation - Invasive species threats - Water resource stress

"Our island is a biodiversity hotspot with species found nowhere else," explains biologist Dr. Stéphane Baret. "But isolation makes ecosystems fragile. One disruption can cascade."

Piton de la Fournaise, one of the world's most active volcanoes, symbolizes dynamic equilibrium. "The volcano gives and takes," reflects volcanologist Andrea Di Muro. "It creates new land but destroys human constructions. Living here means accepting nature's power."

Conservation efforts show promise: - National Park protects endemic species - Marine reserves restore fish populations - Community groups fight invasive plants - Circular economy initiatives reduce waste

"We can't separate environmental and cultural preservation," insists activist Wilfrid Bertile. "Protecting nature means protecting traditional knowledge about living with nature."