In a country as vulnerable to the effects of climate change as Cape Verde, the role of civil protection and firefighters is even more crucial. We face severe droughts, floods, rural and forest fires and other extreme events that require a rapid and effective response. On March 1, we celebrated the resilience, courage and spirit of service that define civil protection professionals and firefighters around the world. They are men and women who bravely and selflessly face the challenges posed by natural disasters, accidents and other emergency situations.

Natural and man-made disasters have caused significant impacts in various regions of the world, affecting communities, economies and the environment. Against this backdrop, the National Disaster Observatory has emerged as an essential tool for monitoring, investigating and managing risks, with the aim of reducing damage and increasing society’s resilience.

March 1st was International Civil Protection Day. To mark the date, the National Civil Protection and Fire Service (SNPCB) launched its website and the National Disaster Portal (OND).

This is a project that has been developed over the last year with the support of Luxembourg Cooperation and which responds to a need to better portray the climatic and other events that occur in Cape Verde and which are classified as disasters.

OND is a platform that collects, analyzes and disseminates information on disastrous events. It acts as a reference center for researchers, public managers and civil society, allowing detailed monitoring of occurrences, trends and impacts of disasters in specific territories.

The OND is structured into two main components:

1. Management component (backoffice) – responsible for collecting, processing, storing and managing data on natural disasters in Cape Verde, with information going back to 1902. This component also allows for the generation of automatic reports, essential for analysis and decision-making by the competent authorities, and

2. OND Portal (public access) – provides interested citizens and organizations with interactive maps, dashboards, graphs, tables and the option to download data on natural disasters in Excel format. This portal can be accessed via the SNPCB website.

The existence of an OND is crucial for the safety and well-being of the population, as it allows for the continuous monitoring of climatic, geological and human phenomena that could result in disasters, planning, preventing and mitigating risks. Provide rapid responses in emergency situations, reducing impacts on the population.

The OND also makes it possible to educate and raise awareness among the population and disseminate reliable information to society, increasing risk perception and promoting the adoption of preventive measures.

The implementation and maintenance of an OND brings several advantages, such as:

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: Authorities can act on the basis of concrete data, increasing the effectiveness of risk management actions

• Cost reduction: Disaster prevention and mitigation are more cost-effective than rebuilding affected areas

• Strengthening Community Resilience: Well-informed and prepared communities tend to cope better with adverse situations and

• National and International Collaboration: enables the exchange of information and joint actions between different countries and institutions.

The new SNPCB and OND websites represent a qualitative leap in our ability to communicate and interact with the population. Through these digital platforms, we provide crucial information on disaster prevention, safety tips, alerts and warnings, in a clear, accessible way and in real time.evenção de desastres, dicas de segurança, alertas e avisos, de forma clara, acessível e em tempo real.  

The National Disaster Observatory, in particular, is an innovative tool that allows us to monitor and analyze the risks of natural disasters in Cape Verde, providing valuable data and information for decision-making and the development of effective public policies.

We believe that, with these new tools, we will be better prepared to face the challenges ahead, and that we will be able to build a safer and more resilient Cape Verde.

However, technology alone is not enough. We need everyone’s involvement and collaboration to build a culture of prevention and security in Cape Verde.

We invite all citizens to explore our new websites, familiarize themselves with the information and tools available, and actively participate in promoting safety in their communities.

Author

Domingos Tavares
SNPCB