The coastal villages of Guinea-Bissau are severely impacted by rising sea levels, driving residents deeper into poverty as they lose farmland and access to clean water. The situation is exacerbated by climate change, disproportionately affecting communities with minimal greenhouse gas emissions. Urgent global action is required to address these disparities and support those most affected.
Rising sea levels are increasingly impacting the coastal villages of Guinea-Bissau, pushing residents into profound poverty. Agriculture suffers as seawater contaminates farmland, while drinking water supplies are compromised. Despite its minimal greenhouse gas emissions, Guinea-Bissau’s population faces significant climate change repercussions, emphasizing the urgent need for climate justice. Villager Aghoti Sanhan reflects on her losses: “The sea keeps coming towards us…many people have abandoned the village. One day, I will have to make a decision to abandon this house too.”
During my visit to Guinea-Bissau, one of West Africa’s poorest nations, I observed the severe effects of rising sea levels on communities living in low-altitude coastal areas. Villagers rely on a mixed lifestyle of fishing and farming within a delicate ecosystem. Since the early 2000s, increased flooding and coastal erosion have intensified, further exacerbating their struggles against poverty.
Guinea-Bissau spans 36,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately 2.1 million, of which around 70% live on less than $1.90 a day. After a long journey to Djobel, a vulnerable coastal village, I learned that its residents face imminent threat due to climate change. Headman Baciro Nango expressed concern: “20 years ago, the climate and the sea started to change drastically… There is no hope for us.”
Freshwater availability has become critical, as the village well became contaminated by seawater five years ago. This crisis results in women and children traveling to the nearest water source, four hours away, to fetch water. As they face diminishing land resources, families navigate another abandonment: a once-accessible house now at risk of being swallowed by the advancing sea.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global sea levels have risen by about 20 centimeters since 1900. The melting of glaciers and thermal expansion are contributing to this phenomenon. Projections indicate potential rises of up to 1.5 meters or even greater under certain emission scenarios, putting coastal communities at even greater risk.
Despite limited technology and funding to combat these changes, leaders like Joao Tchedna assert that the damage is already irreversible. Climate trajectory predictions anticipate that sea levels will continue to rise well into future centuries, causing lost livelihoods globally. Petteri Taalas remarked, “Sea level will continue to rise for a long time, posing a major risk to the livelihoods and economies of people around the world.”
While Djobel residents hope for relocation inland with UN assistance, opposition from neighboring villages has halted this initiative, leading to tensions and violence. Necessary infrastructure built for resettlement has been vandalized, leaving villagers in a precarious situation. Tchedna emphasizes, “Developed countries should contribute sufficient funds…to save the lives of people in poor countries.”
Guinea-Bissau contributes negligibly to global greenhouse gas emissions, with local emissions virtually nonexistent. Still, its communities, such as Djobel, are some of the first to suffer dire consequences of climate change driven by emissions from developed nations. Achieving climate justice and assistance from the international community is of paramount importance.
Guinea-Bissau, located in West Africa, comprises regions that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. The country has minimal greenhouse gas emissions yet faces significant consequences from global warming and rising sea levels. The local population relies heavily on agriculture and fishing, making them especially susceptible to environmental changes. Increased flooding, saltwater intrusion, and loss of arable land threaten their livelihoods and well-being, creating a pressing need for global climate action and support.
Rising sea levels in Guinea-Bissau are severely affecting coastal communities, driving them into poverty and threatening their very existence. Villagers face the loss of farmland and clean drinking water, all while contending with the consequences of climate change for which they are not responsible. The situation underscores a critical need for climate justice, with developed nations urged to support vulnerable countries like Guinea-Bissau in addressing these challenges and ensuring sustainable futures for residents.
Original Source: www.weforum.org
