A Break from Crushing Waves: Building Resilience in the Tropical Islands of São Tomé and Príncipe

Photo: Flore de Preneuf/ World Bank. Retrieved from worldbank.org

Safety-at-sea kits that include GPS, sealed pockets to protect electronics, lifejackets and training, have been distributed to about 3,000 fishers (out of an estimated 4,125 fishers) under successive World Bank projects.The kits are part of a broad menu of interventions that are helping build greater resilience and reduce poverty in the small island state of São Tomé and Príncipe (STP). About 223,000 people live on the archipelago and about 15.4% of the population falls under the international poverty line.

Physical investments, financed by the International Development Association (IDA) under the multi-donor West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Program (WACA) managed by the World Bank, focus on 12 artisanal fishing communities on the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. These include investments in breakwaters, seawalls, road rehabilitation, boat ramps and new, safer housing for people exposed to storm surges and rising tides. Eleven lighthouses that had fallen in disrepair were renovated and equipped with more long-lasting, solar-powered technology. New recreational, sanitary, and educational facilities are being built at the communities’ request to complement the investments in coastal infrastructure. Together, these assets create a safer and cleaner living environment for fishing communities.