The National Environment Agency (DNA), the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (INMG) and the University of Cape Verde (UNICV), is drawing up a detailed map of climate risk and vulnerability.
The project is part of the Climate Action Program, supported by Luxembourg Cooperation, and is a significant step towards strengthening climate risk management capacities throughout the country.
In December 2024, after intensive work in the field, the team, which also includes experts from La Laguna University, led by Professor Jaime Dias Pacheco from the Chair of Risk and Disaster Reduction in Gran Canaria, with which INGT has an institutional partnership, completed the production of the first maps for the following pilot municipalities, namely Brava, Boa Vista, Ribeira Brava de São Nicolau, Praia and Mosteiros on the island of Fogo. It should be noted that the work done in these municipalities was mainly aimed at updating the mapping carried out in 2019, as part of the “Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO)” project funded by the World Bank, on a smaller scale.
The current project aims to expand and detail the mapping, with a view to a more accurate analysis of climate risks and associated vulnerabilities.
The main objective of this project is to carry out a detailed territorial analysis of climate risks in Cape Verde, such as droughts, floods, mass movements, fires, heat waves and coastal erosion, using climate and geospatial data to identify the areas and sectors most vulnerable to extreme climate phenomena.
The work underway will allow detailed mapping to be developed, containing themes on climate hazard, vulnerability and risk, climate indicators, the danger of slope movements, flooding, droughts, temperature extremes, susceptibility to coastal flooding and vulnerability by zone.
These maps will be essential tools for territorial management, enabling authorities and decision-makers to plan and implement effective climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
The mapping will also play a key role in guiding public policies and integrating climate risks into the country’s sustainable development practices, with a focus on each of the 22 municipalities targeted by the project and on the urban planning and management process, which will help ensure the territory’s resilience to climate challenges.
The next field mission for the team of national and international technicians is scheduled for the end of March this year, and the mapping will be made available on Cape Verde’s Spatial Data Infrastructure (IDE-CV) and other means of dissemination in June at the conclusion of the project.
This work is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen climate risk management in Cape Verde and contribute to building a more resilient society, capable of facing the challenges posed by climate change in a proactive and informed manner.
Ribeira Brava
Boa Vista
Praia
Mosteiros
Brava
Author
Ilce Amarante
National Institute for Territorial Management
