Days after Tropical Storm Gonzalo flooded parts of Sal, Cabo Verde, institutions and stakeholders from across the early warning chain came together in Praia on 29 September 2026 to validate the country's national Early Warnings for All roadmap.
Gonzalo left areas of Santa Maria underwater and caused damage to coastal infrastructure. Early warnings gave authorities and residents time to take precautions, and no deaths have been reported. The storm showed both the value of warnings and the need to strengthen every link between detecting a hazard and helping people act.
The roadmap comes amid growing concerns about weather and climate extremes associated with the developing El Niño. The World Meteorological Organization has warned that it could become very strong, increasing the risk of weather and climate extremes into 2027. Cabo Verde's roadmap takes a multi-hazard approach, connecting risk knowledge, monitoring and forecasting, warning communication, and preparedness and response.
The roadmap grew out of a consultative process led by Cabo Verde's four national pillar leads: the National Civil Protection and Fire Service, the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics, the Multisectoral Economic Regulatory Agency, and the Cabo Verde Red Cross.
The process was led by the Minister of Environment, Climate Action and Energy, with support from the National Secretariat for Climate Action and contributions from stakeholders across the country.
The validation marks the start of the next phase: mobilizing resources and putting the roadmap into practice. A whole-of-society approach will be essential, involving public institutions, local authorities, civil society, businesses, communities, and development partners in the effort to ensure warnings are timely, accessible, and actionable.
Investment is already underway. The Systematic Observations Financing Facility is supporting the second pillar of Early Warnings for All by strengthening the observations that underpin forecasts and warnings. The United Nations Environment Programme has also submitted a concept note to the Green Climate Fund for a proposed project that could help implement roadmap priorities.
The EW4All rollout has benefited from support from the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems initiative. Cabo Verde first benefited through the CREWS West Africa project. More recently, the World Meteorological Organization and the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics mobilized support through the initiative's Accelerated Support Window to develop the roadmap with national partners.
Support through the Accelerated Support Window will continue beyond the roadmap validation, including work on a national strategic plan, digital transformation, and a website to improve the delivery and reach of vital information. Together with the investments already underway, the roadmap provides a shared direction for extending effective early warnings across Cabo Verde.
