Praia, Sept. 11, 2025 (Lusa) - Cape Verde's president on Thursday expressed the need to put prevention and urban planning at the centre of public action and to strengthen measures to deal with extreme weather phenomena, a month after a storm that caused nine deaths.
"Prevention saves lives, protects property, reduces costs and strengthens citizens' trust in their institutions. It is therefore an intelligent and essential investment that must be at the centre of municipal and national public policies," said José Maria Neves.
According to a press release from the Presidency of the Republic, the head of state made these statements while addressing a message to the president of the board of directors of the National Association of Cape Verdean Municipalities (ANMCV), Fábio Vieira.
The president said that extreme phenomena, such as the one that occurred in São Vicente on 11 August, tend to happen with "greater frequency and intensity" as a result of climate change.
"Science leaves no room for doubt: changes in the global climate increase the likelihood of severe meteorological events, such as intense rainfall, prolonged droughts, devastating winds and sudden floods. Cape Verde, due to its geographical location and structural weaknesses, is considered one of the countries most vulnerable to these changes. This vulnerability reinforces the need to adopt adaptation and mitigation measures, anchored in integrated and sustainable public policies," he said.
In this context, he drew attention to municipal land-use planning instruments, stating that “the Municipal Master Plan (PDM) should be valid in any municipality”.
He regretted that, in most of them, this planning instrument has expired, and in others, it hasn't even been approved.
"More than a formal document, the PDM is the compass of territorial development: it establishes land use rules, organises urban and rural spaces, protects sensitive areas, prevents risks and guides urban expansion. I therefore emphasise that its compliance must be rigorously ensured and that any deviations must be firmly sanctioned," he said.
He also warned that the São Vicente tragedy is a reminder of the "urgency of putting prevention at the centre of public action and investing in resilience measures".
"It requires us to strengthen the technical and institutional capacities of municipalities, improve cooperation between different levels of governance, mobilise resources to adapt to climate change and make citizens aware of the importance of protecting the territory," he said.
Regarding the immediate challenges, he emphasised the importance of continuing to identify and implement measures to mitigate the damage suffered in São Vicente.
Among the priority actions, he highlighted "rigorous damage assessment, rapid mobilisation of emergency resources, the creation or reinforcement of financial mechanisms that can be promptly activated in disaster situations and effective coordination between the government, local authorities, international partners and civil society".
"The human losses, material damage and social impacts caused by this event have left an indelible mark on us and impose on us, as a national community and as state institutions, a serious and consistent reflection on the paths we must follow," he said.
The 11 August storm flooded neighbourhoods, destroyed roads, bridges and shops, affected the power supply and caused nine deaths, with two people still missing.
The government declared a six-month disaster in São Vicente, Porto Novo (Santo Antão) and the two municipalities of São Nicolau, approving a response plan with emergency support for families and economic activities, through subsidised credit lines and non-repayable funds, financed by the National Emergency Fund and the Sovereign Emergency Fund.
The São Vicente health delegate warned on Wednesday of an "abnormal increase" in disease-carrying mosquitoes due to stagnant water and open sewers after the storm.
RS/ADB // ADB.
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