National Action Programme for the Adaptation on Climate Change.

National Action Programme for the Adaptation on Climate Change's primary sector is very relevant to poverty alleviation and the country’s economy given that the activities of the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors are essential, particularly to poor people. The primary sector guarantees food security of the diverse layers of the population, mainly the most vulnerable. Agro-silvo-pastoral activities are those that most contribute to the food security, with higher prominence for the two types of cropping (subsistence and rent). This situation is associated to the fact that a large proportion of the population depends on agriculture and livestock activities for their survival (pag. 9). the establishment of integrated protection systems that allow for a rational and sustainable exploration of water, soil and vegetation resources on the part of local farmers/raisers, has a capital importance role in reduction of vulnerability and the negative effects of climate change, having in account its contribution for the recharge of aquifers, soil protection, increase of firewood production and fodder, use of marginal lands for rain fed crops through adoption of agro-forestry systems and increase of agricultural productivity (pag. 29).
The Goal of this adaptation programme is to increase the capacity of resistance of Cape Verde to climate change (CC) and climate variability (CV) in order to achieve the development objectives set in its Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. This programme complements the recently concluded National Strategy Action Plan against Climate Changes which focuses mostly on the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases. In order to reach the Goal, this programme has three priority sectoral Objectives, as identified through the vulnerability analysis undertaken by the broad stakeholders groups during the participatory process to prepare this NAPA. These three Objectives are: 1) Promoting integrated water resources management in order to guarantee water for the people, for the production of food, for the ecosystems and for the tourism industry; 2) Developing the adaptability of the agro-silvo-pastoral production systems in order to ensure and improve national food production; 3) Protecting and preventing degradation of the coastal zones, caused by climatic change and by tourism (pag. 11).
The following priority interventions were identified for the priority sectors: Build infrastructures for collection, supply and storage of water and recharge of aquifers; Reinforce actions to protect watersheds in order to improve food security. Diversify income-generating activities in rural areas; Modernize and diffuse localized irrigation technologies; Invest strongly in environmentally sustainable production techniques; Use varieties and species that are adaptable to changing climatic conditions; Diversify activities and measures to support the populations that live off the exploitation of coastal resources; Support diversification of alternative activities to artisanal fishing (e.g. training, equipment, micro-credit); Continue the actions of preservation and management of protected areas; Rehabilitate and/or construct infrastructures for protection of coastal zones; Strengthen equipment and modernization of artisanal fishing; Support implementation of initiatives to use renewable energies (solar and wind) in particular at the level of rural communities; Modernize the network of climate and maritime monitoring stations; Stimulate production and establishment of endemic plants; Conserve and sustainably use medicinal species. Promote research on species that are threatened and vulnerable to the climate change; These priority interventions have been further developed into five project concepts (pag. 16).