Land Resources
In 2001, Guinea-Bissau presented its Rapport d´Evaluation Nationale dans le cadre de la mise en oeuvre du processus de RIO+10 en République de la Guiné-Bissau (National Assessment Report as part of the implementation of the Rio +10 process in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau) to UNDESA in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), highlighting agriculture as a key theme in addressing social, economic and environmental development in Guinea-Bissau.
The interior of Guinea-Bissau is primarily savanna while the coastline region is characterized by a coastal plain with swamps of Guinean mangroves. The Guinean monsoon season alternates with periods of hot, dry harmattan winds blowing from the Sahara. Guinea-Bissau has very fragile soils that are exposed to rain-driven and coastal erosion. The expansion of agricultural production is associated with an increase in forest felling and slash-and-burn practices, which increases occupancy in regions with mineral-depleted soil. A lack of agricultural zoning has helped to accelerate the destruction of Guinea-Bissau’s forests, estimated at 30,000-60,000 ha/year, with negative effects on current carbon sequestration. Agriculture was also strongly affected by the 1998-1999 conflict, along with a sharp reduction in prices for cashews and cotton, crops which contribute over 60% of the country’s GDP. Added to this disruption, Guinea-Bissau has experienced a marked fall in agricultural production and production of staple food items (rice in particular); a rise in costs of some foodstuffs, particularly in urban and semi-urban centers; deteriorating cashew and cotton prices; and an increase in food insecurity. Greater environmental pressure on the uplands, with the consequent deforestation arising from upland agriculture and timber exploration, has pushed cultivation to new land areas. Currently, Guinea-Bissau’s greatest natural resources are phosphate, fishing and timber, with arable land consisting of 11% of total area. Exploitation of these resources has increased the demand for new land area for cultivation, increasing soil erosion, seasonal overgrazing, deforestation due to dependence on coal production and other forest goods for export. Rural to urban migration, particularly to the capital, has increased the pressure on existing urban infrastructure and exacerbated such social problems as juvenile delinquency, the lack of job opportunities and insecurity, among others.
