Natural and Environmental Disasters

Cape Verde submitted its National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to the UNFCCC in 2007.

Cape Verde is prone to variability in rainfall patterns that result in frequent droughts and extreme weather events such as devastating floods and sudden changes in temperature. These episodes are occurring with increased frequency. Torrential rains, an increasingly frequent phenomenon in Cape Verde, lead to great loss of human life in addition to loss of agricultural soils, animal life, and infrastructure. These intense rains, although short in duration, can cover an entire watershed within a short period of 3 to 6 hours, and are the most common natural disaster likely to hit Cape Verde. Increased local and general droughts are also foreseen due to the anticipated effects of climate change and are expected to contribute to the reduction of plant cover and the degradation of ecosystems, affecting livelihoods and agricultural production. Volcanic eruptions are also a possible natural hazard, as Cape Verde’s Mount Fogo is an active volcano which last erupted in 1995. Hurricanes also strike the area and are known to form near the Cape Verde Islands. These hurricanes are referred to as Cape Verde-type hurricanes, and can become very intense as they cross warm Atlantic waters.