Washington, April 17, 2026 (Lusa) – Cabo Verde is "by far" better prepared today to deal with extreme weather events, Deputy Prime Minister Olavo Correia told Lusa, although he did not rule out the need to work with partners to ensure a faster response. "Cabo Verde is better prepared. Of course, we are never fully prepared because we do not even know the consequences or the scale of the damage that extreme weather events can cause. But comparing 2016 to 2026, I say clearly that we are by far better prepared," he said in Washington, on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings, which run until Saturday.
He said that Cabo Verde now possesses a much stronger governance framework and instruments with funds set aside for this purpose, noting, however, that these funds “are always insufficient” given the scale of disasters and their consequences.
"We must continue working to ensure these funds have the maximum possible resources so that we can intervene if any extreme event occurs. Indeed, as happened recently in São Vicente, Santo Antão, São Nicolau, and northern Santiago, we took immediate action without waiting for international aid," he said, noting that the country had mobilised savings and created specific funds.
Last August, Tropical Storm Erin hit Cabo Verde, flooding neighbourhoods and destroying roads, bridges, and commercial establishments. The storm affected power supplies and caused several deaths, leading the government to declare a state of calamity in the hardest-hit areas.
Following the storm, Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva appealed to the international community to support climate action investment. He said that extreme events like Storm Erin must not compromise the country’s macroeconomic stability or daily life.
Addressing the current crisis in institutional multilateralism, Olavo Correia said that the solution lies in a climate governance framework involving "creating a set of norms, rules, and institutions to ensure" the country manages climate action effectively. "Cabo Verde has a very strong and robust climate governance framework. Besides mobilising resources from international partners, we must have a governance structure that views extreme weather events as a matter of course," he said.
"In times of economic growth and expansion, we must be able to create buffers, create margins, and specific funds, so that when an extreme weather event occurs, we have the internal capacity to respond before seeking international aid. This is fundamental, and we already have a framework with a set of instruments created for this purpose," he said.
He said that the two most recent extreme weather events affecting Cabo Verde in August and November cost approximately €60 million to restore normality. This figure represents roughly 50% or 60% of the total investment volume executed in a year.
The island nation has relied on support from various multilateral and bilateral partners willing to assist its climate agenda, though "not at the scale or speed" the government would like, he said.
As part of this partnership, Cabo Verde held a meeting in Washington on Thursday with all development partners interested in its Climate Environmental Fund. Correia said the meeting aimed to present the government's final proposal regarding the legal framework for the creation and operation of the Climate and Environmental Fund and the Climate and Environmental Investment Fund.
"Following validation from partners, we will now be in a position to move forward with its operationalisation and capitalisation. This will help Cabo Verde execute its agenda more rapidly," he said.
Portugal, Luxembourg, the Green Climate Funds, and the World Bank were among the partners and entities specialising in climate and climate finance attending the meeting, he said
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