São Tomé and Principe

The National Civil Protection and Fire Service was established with the power to coordinate national activities in the event of natural disasters, but that service
lacks the technical, material and human resources to effectively and efficiently carry out its functions when a serious natural or environmental disaster occurs.

Due to its geographical location, its geological formation, size and island nature, Sao Tomé e Principé is considered fragile and vulnerable to possible natural and environmental disasters. Within the last few years, the only major natural disaster was a landslide in the area of Rebordelo, in the north of the island of St. Thomas, which buried an entire community. The incapacity of the government to deal with this disaster institutionally or structurally was recognised, and an increase in response capacities has been identified as vital. The drafting of an Emergency Plan has been proposed to deal with such disasters in the future. Sea-level rise is already a problem in the country, and coastal communities are already experiencing the destruction of houses by flood due to intense rainfall and sea turbulence, along with the destruction of fishing equipment and coastal infrastructure. Drought has also become more common on Sao Tomé e Principé; in recent years the three-month dry season (June-August), called the period of “gravana”, has been lasting up to six months.

Sao Tomé et Principe submitted its Fourth National Report on Biodiversity to the Commission on Biological Diversity in 2009. At the national level, the Law of Fishing and Fishery Resources and the Law on Aggregates have been prepared, approved and published, which help to protect both marine and coastal national resources.

With a maritime territory ten times larger than its terrestrial area, the São Toméan population relies heavily on marine resources. Its two biggest economic sectors are fishing and tourism, which rely on the quality of marine ecosystems to remain viable. Additionally, fishing contributes more than 80% of animal protein consumed by the population, making marine resources vitally important to the subsistence of the population. However, the São Toméan coastal zone has experienced significant erosion due to sea level rise and the exploitation of beach sand by the construction industry, a result of insufficient environmental management. Dredging sand from the sea has also been pursued to protect beaches from sand exploitation. National fisheries resources have also experienced some degradation due to the lack of resources for the surveillance of territorial waters, which has led to the uncontrolled capture of those resources by foreign fishing companies.

Sao Tomé & Principe has developed and is implementing its National Environment Plan for Sustainable Development (PNADD), which includes eight priority programmes on the environment and development; however, this plan is already ten years old. The National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS) provides the necessary framework to address poverty reduction issues and contribute to sustainable development. An Agricultural Policy and Rural Development Charter has been prepared (although not yet enforced), as well as an Administration and Management of Parks plan, drawn up with the help of the European Union. One of the main constraints to good land management in Sao Tomé et Principe is the lack of a Land Development Plan.

Sao Tomé et Principe is composed of two islands and several smaller islets and is situated about 300km off the African coast. The topography of the islands is very rugged, and land is comprised of basaltic rocks created by volcanic activity, making for fertile soil. A high degree of vegetation throughout the islands - about 90% of the country - has helped to prevent soil erosion. The introduction of new techniques for construction of canoes with wood alternatives has helped protect national forests, reducing the number of trees cut down to build canoes for fishermen.

Although the most abundant natural resource is fish, Sao Tomé et Principe has the potential to develop newly found oil reserves. UNDP and FAO reports suggest that only half of São Tomé and Príncipe’s territorial expanse is inhabitable, with this area being occupied by industrial crops, including cocoa, coffee, palm trees, and coconut palms, of which 50% is devoted to subsistence crops. Despite the small size of the country and its high population density, the occupation of land for urban development has not been carried out responsibly and thus endangers future generations’ ability to gain full use of the country's natural resources. The process of distributing land to farmers, carried out with the support of the World Bank, contributed significantly to land degradation, having increased illegal logging and thus causing increased deforestation and deterioration of biodiversity as well as increased erosion. In order to protect fragile ecosystems, 30% of the nation's territory was declared a National Parks area by the government. This area covers the entire primary forest of the country.

A Master Plan on Tourism to develop the sustainable tourism sector is in the process of being updated.

There is a great deal of potential in Sao Tomé et Principe to develop a tourism sector based on current attractions such as colonial architecture and beaches. However, much of the classical architecture is entering a state of accelerated degradation, and the beaches are affected by the extraction of sand for construction use. Given the fragility and the sensitivity of different ecosystems that have great potential for the development of tourism, especially ecotourism, it is necessary to establish environmental assessment programs to determine the country's capacity for receiving tourists, promote community-based initiatives and mobilize sufficient resources to contribute to the development of sustainable tourism.