APICA - GNB

In Guinea-Bissau, agriculture stands as the main socio-economic activity, accounting for more than half of the GDP and employing over 80% of the active population. Yet, this vital sector is increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change. Projections indicate rising temperatures, greater variability in rainfall, and sea level rise—factors that primarily affect coastal areas and directly endanger agricultural production.

In the regions of Cacheu and Oio, located in the northwest of the country, the impacts are already visible. Sea level rise, combined with declining rainfall, is causing excessive soil salinization along rivers, precisely in the mangrove-associated rice fields. Increasing variability in rainfall further exposes farming communities to risk, given their strong dependence on natural resources for their livelihoods.

APICA-GNB, the first climate change adaptation project financed by the Green Climate Fund in Guinea-Bissau, implemented by the OSS and executed by the ADPP-GB Association came to address such a situation. The project’s central objective lies in strengthening the resilience of agricultural livelihoods to climate hazards, with a focus on the most vulnerable populations of Cacheu and Oio.

This ambition translates into three complementary priorities: developing the technical and institutional capacities of government and civil society, adapting water management systems to climate risks specific to coastal areas, and reinforcing the resilience of farming communities against the climate change threats.

Improved knowledge and capacity on climate risks, adaptation and modernization of community water management systems to enhance resilience, and strengthened skills of rice farmers in mangrove areas are the expected results with the aim of safeguarding and securing an agricultural activity that remains essential for the future of local communities.