Guinea-Bissau launches RESIslands to strengthen climate resilience and prepare climate investment proposals
Guinea-Bissau has launched the RESIslands initiative to strengthen national capacity to assess climate risks and prepare investment proposals that protect communities, livelihoods and ecosystems. The launch opened a programme of engagement, with technical consultations scheduled for 7–8 October to refine priorities, identify capacity needs and build on existing initiatives.
Funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the 30-month readiness initiative supports nine members of the African Island States Climate Commission (AISCC). In Guinea-Bissau, it brings together national institutions and partners to improve risk assessment, strengthen policy and institutional capacity, and develop a pipeline of climate project proposals.
Opening the launch, Carlos Pinto Pereira, Minister of Environment and Climate Action, highlighted the importance of timely climate information reaching communities and of adaptation measures that protect both livelihoods and ecosystems. He stressed that introducing equipment and technologies must be accompanied by training and sustained support so that communities can use them effectively.
“Strengthening climate resilience in Guinea-Bissau is not only an environmental issue. It is a question of development, security, protecting livelihoods and the future of communities,” said Kjartan Fjeldsted, ECA Programme Management Officer, in his opening remarks.
Guinea-Bissau’s coastal areas, mangroves and Bijagós archipelago support fishing, agriculture and food security. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion and changing rainfall patterns place these livelihoods and ecosystems under growing pressure.
“For Guinea-Bissau, climate change does not represent a future threat. It is already affecting livelihoods, food security and economic development,” said Inoussa Kaboré, UNICEF Representative in Guinea-Bissau and acting United Nations Resident Coordinator. He called for national priorities to be translated into investment proposals that deliver tangible benefits for communities, with women and young people contributing to the definition of solutions.
Presenting national climate evidence, Orlando Mendes of the National Institute of Meteorology highlighted rising temperatures, rainfall variability and the implications for agriculture and coastal communities. His presentation showed how regionally tailored agricultural calendars and climate information can help farmers make better-informed planting decisions. The discussion also examined the importance of making risk information accessible and understandable to communities.
The meeting reported that three national technicians are participating in an online risk-assessment course and that a preliminary inventory has documented 17 existing initiatives. Ten preliminary project ideas have also been identified for discussion and validation, covering areas including early warning, coastal resilience, agriculture, water security, fisheries, urban resilience and renewable energy for essential services.
The technical consultations will examine these ideas alongside institutional capacity needs, relevant policies and opportunities for coordination with ongoing programmes. Participants at the launch raised questions about access to climate data, institutional cooperation and how communities dependent on natural resources can be supported to protect their livelihoods and ecosystems.
As a readiness initiative, RESIslands supports the capabilities, evidence and project preparation needed to pursue climate investment. The preliminary ideas remain subject to national validation, further development and subsequent financing decisions.
The launch builds on Guinea-Bissau’s regional engagement through the AISCC and the Guinea-Bissau Pathway for African Island States, adopted at the ministerial conference hosted in Bissau in 2025. ECA will work with national institutions and partners to connect these shared commitments with country priorities and practical implementation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
