Cape Verde: Cabo Verdeans Count On One Another and the Government to Safeguard the Environment

22 May 2025
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Marcelline Amouzou

More than three-fourths of citizens say pollution is a serious problem in their community.

Key findings

  • More than three-fourths (78%) of Cabo Verdeans say pollution is a "somewhat serious" or "very serious" problem in their community. o Citizens say trash disposal (cited by 48%), sanitation (20%), and water pollution (11%) are the most important environmental issues in their community. o Most respondents (87%) say plastic bags are a major source of pollution in Cabo Verde.
  • More than half of Cabo Verdeans (53%) say the primary responsibility for reducing pollution and keeping communities clean rests with local citizens. Others would assign that responsibility to their local governments (39%) or the national government (6%).
  • Even so, eight in 10 respondents (80%) say the government should be doing more to limit pollution and protect the environment, including 62% who want it to do "much more."
  • But if environmental-protection policies threaten jobs and incomes, 44% of respondents say the government should focus on economic considerations, while only 34% would prioritise the environment.
  • Only one-third (34%) of Cabo Verdeans say the benefits of natural resource extraction, such as jobs and revenue, outweigh negative impacts such as pollution. o More than three-fourths (78%) of citizens want the government to regulate natural resource extraction more tightly to reduce its negative impact on the environment.

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Cabo Verde is an island nation characterised by its unique volcanic landscape and significant renewable-energy potential, particularly in solar and wind power (World Bank, 2023). In recent decades, it has also emerged as one of Africa's most attractive tourist destinations thanks to its beaches, year-round sunshine, cultural richness, and a reputation for safety and hospitality.

Over the past two decades, the country has undergone a significant economic transformation, shifting from an economy reliant on remittances and aid to one increasingly driven by tourism. Islands such as Sal and Boa Vista have developed distinct tourism niches, from sun-and-sea resort tourism to cultural and eco-tourism experiences, catering to a growing international market (López-Guzmán, Borges, Hernández-Merino, & Cerezo, 2013). The sector's rapid growth has had substantial macroeconomic impacts: Simulations show that a 10% increase in tourism demand can raise Cabo Verde's gross domestic product above its long-run path by more than 1 percentage point by 2030, with positive effects on employment and fiscal balance (Akkemik, Borges, & Perlaky, 2023).

Despite these natural assets, the country faces a growing set of environmental challenges, including coastal erosion, water scarcity, desertification, and inadequate waste management - pressures that are exacerbated by rapid urbanisation and climate change (Government of Cabo Verde, 2020). Coastal ecosystems are especially at risk due to the growing accumulation of marine debris, particularly plastics. Recent research on Boa Vista Island has documented high concentrations of micro-, meso-, and macro-plastics on the island's north- and east-facing beaches, largely driven by ocean currents and fishing-related activities (Sousa-Guedes, Sillero, Abu-Raya, Marco, & Bessa, 2025).

One of the government's key early initiatives to address the country's ecological challenges was the Second National Environmental Action Plan (PANA II), a 10-year strategy launched in 2004 to promote the sustainable and efficient management of natural resources (Ministério do Ambiente, Agricultura e Pescas, 2004). Building on this foundation, in 2021, the government introduced the National Adaptation Plan, which outlines sustainability strategies to reduce environmental vulnerability and mitigate the impacts of climate change (Government of Cabo Verde, 2021).

This dispatch reports on a special survey module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 questionnaire to explore Cabo Verdeans' experiences and perceptions of pollution, environmental governance, and natural resource extraction.

Most Cabo Verdeans see pollution as a serious problem in their community, citing trash disposal as the most important local environmental issue and describing plastic bags as a major source of pollution in their country.

While many look first to their fellow citizens to fight pollution, most also say the government should be doing much more to protect the environment.

Marcelline Amouzou Marcelline Amouzou is a PhD student in political science at the University of Florida.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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