Africa-Press – Cape verde. Storm Erin, which struck the islands of São Vicente, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau, has set a new environmental standard for 2025.
On the island of São Vicente, it caused the death of nine people, two missing persons, approximately 1,500 displaced people, and more than 3,000 affected.
The storm flooded neighborhoods, destroyed roads, businesses, and homes, disrupted power and water supplies, caused the loss of livestock swept away by the floods, and severely damaged infrastructure.
Following the event, the government declared a state of emergency for six months and mobilized national and international resources, including support from the European Union through the Civil Protection Mechanism.
In response to this situation on the “island of Monte Cara,” the Government approved a response plan with emergency support for families and economic activities, including subsidized credit lines and non-repayable grants, financed by the National Emergency Fund and the Sovereign Emergency Fund, created in 2019.
Another event that represented a strategic milestone in climate governance in the country was the launch, in January, of the Cabo Verde Country Climate Development Report (CCDR).
The CCDR is a strategic document that identifies climate vulnerabilities and defines measures for their adaptation, offering integrated guidelines for the sustainability and inclusive development of the archipelago.
In April, Mindelo hosted the International Conference on Climate Change and Environmental Education, bringing together national and international experts, government representatives, and civil society.
The recommendation from this meeting concerns the relevance of mitigation, adaptation, and integration of local knowledge to address climate impacts.
In November, torrential rains once again caused havoc, this time in northern Santiago, affecting roads, homes, agricultural areas, and livestock, particularly in the municipalities of Santa Cruz, São Miguel, and Tarrafal, resulting in one fatality and leading the government to declare a state of emergency in this region as well.
To mitigate the impacts of this destruction, the Bank of Cape Verde (BCV) implemented an emergency assistance program (PAE), providing a credit line with an interest rate of 0.75 percent (%), up to 10 billion Cape Verdean escudos, with a repayment term of up to five years, through the subscription of financial instruments by participating institutions, to support affected families, businesses, and entities.
Cape Verde has joined the global initiative “Early Warnings for All,” a United Nations global action aimed at ensuring that all people are protected by multi-hazard early warning systems by 2027, which constitutes another milestone in this sector in 2025.
The Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Gilberto Silva, highlighted the importance of this initiative for the country, arguing that Cape Verde needs to be better prepared to face climate change and respond in a coordinated manner to the growing risks of natural disasters.
These climatic events that have marked the sector in the country highlight the archipelago’s vulnerability to climate change and reinforce the urgency of adaptation policies, investments in resilient infrastructure, and effective warning systems to protect lives and property.
For More News And Analysis About Cape verde Follow Africa-Press
