In 2008 Guinea-Bissau submitted its National Adaptation Programme of Action on Climate Change (NAPA) to the UNFCCC.
Eighty percent of people live in the coastal zone of Guinea-Bissau and depend on the direct exploitation of natural resources for subsistence. Many of Guinea-Bissau’s main biodiversity resources originate within the coastal zone, and two thirds of Guinean territory has an altitude of less than 50 meters. Current increases in temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns have increased coastal erosion, which is being accompanied by a rise in average sea level. These factors contribute to the vulnerability of the country and affect Guinea-Bissau’s capacity to adapt to continuing changes, especially given that infrastructure is also concentrated in the coastal zone due to population patterns. Mangrove forests continue to be exploited for firewood, and the effects of climate change on mangroves through increases in sea temperature are a major threat to the biodiversity of Guinea-Bissau. Currently, no portion of Guinea-Bissau’s mangrove forest is protected under national legislation.
The report "SIDS-focused Green Economy: An Analysis of Challenges and Opportunities" was launched at COP7 of the Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region, which took place in Maputo, Mozambique, from 10 to 14 December 2012.
The Contracting Parties of the Nairobi Convention -among which there are SIDS, i.e., Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles- , the Intergovernmental organisations and...
“Islands are the barometers of international environmental policies. The entire world will first witness their success or their failure on our islands.” These words, of James Michel, the President of Seychelles, deserve to be spoken out loud as delegates from small island developing States (SIDS) gear up to defend their interests at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).
SIDS serve as the guardians of a “planet under pressure,” whose point of no return is...
À mon avis, la discussion sur l'économie verte doit être liée au développement durable résultant à la fois d'une réflexion réaliste de la situation actuelle et d'une vision souhaitable du futur. Il devrait avoir un objectif atteignable sur la base d'un accord mutuel et doit répondre à la nécessité de continuer à réduire le fossé entre les pays développés...
