Cape Verde making its way for the Sustainability of the Environment

Making the difference in shaping the minds and the actions of the people

Cape Verde has been recognized as a global hotspot for terrestrial and marine biodiversity and United

Nations in Cape Verde is actively involved in promoting environmental sustainability for the people and its'

future generations of Cape Verde. On the island of Maio, two projects funded by GEF Small Grants

Programme, are making the difference in shaping the minds and actions of the people.

"Marine Turtles Protection" is the first turtle conservation project in the history of the island involving the

active participation of local communities and fishermen to protect Loggerhead Turtles. The project enables

17 fishermen and local people to be employed to patrol the beaches from June to October for the nesting

and the hatchlings of the turtles. The local youth are also taking part in the conservation project by visiting

the project sites and learning about the life cycle of the turtles and the eco-system of the island. The youth

also had the opportunity to share their findings by organizing a theater performance at the municipality's

festivals. Theater is relatively new to Maio and the play combined traditional story-telling techniques with an

emphasis of turtle conservation andthe importance of preserving the natural environment.

This is a positive change in the increased awareness of the people where before, the hunting of turtles for

their meat and eggs was common practice across the islands and egg predation by humans and other

predators, had almost wiped out the breeding turtle population of the island. The project is also in alignment

with Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP), a national government policy priority, which is also

linked to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The project is really a local-to-global contribution.

"Revitalizing the Porto Ingles Wetlands" is also a unique cooperative project empowering 70 local women

working in salt extraction. Porto Ingles Wetlands include the largest «salina» in Cape Verde with a heritage

of salt extraction since the late 16th century. The entire salt production process in Maio is managed and

operated by local women, and these women are proud and motivated in further improving their professional

skills by actively participating in a technical exchange program to increase salt production with women from

similar projects in Guinea Bissau, West Africa.The UN in Cape Verde will continue work with the

Government, civil society, private sector, development partners, and families to promote sustainable

development. After all, the women in Porto Ingles Wetlands have definitely illustrated that by working

together and sharing experiences, they are not only helping each other to enhance the quality of life for

themselves, but also are contributing to the lives of the people in Cape Verde and it’s neighboring countries.

In addition, the project not only promotes sustainable traditional livelihoods of these women, it also

promotes biodiversity by protecting and re-vitalizing the wetlands. The wetland attracts a wide variety of

birds, including endemic species, for breeding and feeding. A protected fence is scheduled to be built to

preserve and to develop this area as a natural reserve to incorporate eco-tourism as a unique bird-watching

site in Cape Verde. The flocks of flamingo can also be observed when visiting the Porto Ingles Wetlands.

Both projects, while aimed at issues related to MDG7, (Ensure Environmental Sustainability), have the

added benefits of addressing poverty eradication and other MDG1 targets. The UN in Cape Verde and GEF

Small Grants Programme continue to be committed to promoting sustainable livelihoods of the people by

protecting the environment and utilizing the natural resources.

* Reported and photos taken by Masakazu Shibata (OUNF&P Communication Officer) except group photo of "Marine Turtles Protection" project provided by

Tony Melo (Biosfera I)