The Bijagós archipelago off Guinea-Bissau is facing accelerating coastal erosion and sea-level rise that threaten communities, fisheries and rich biodiversity. Local reports and a government plan document shoreline retreat measured in metres each year, with mangrove loss and damaged infrastructure. IBAP and NGOs are mapping vulnerable sites, planting trees and raising awareness, but they call for more government funding and international support.
Rising Seas Threaten Bijagós Islands: Communities, Wildlife and Fisheries at Risk
The coastline retreats by up to 7 metres each year, according to a government report (PATRICK MEINHARDT)(PATRICK MEINHARDT/AFP/AFP)
Turquoise surf laps the white-sand shores of the Bijagós archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Guinea-Bissau — but locals warn that those shores are disappearing, island by island. Residents, conservationists and government reports say accelerating coastal erosion and rising sea levels are damaging homes, sacred sites, mangroves and important wildlife habitat.
What Is Happening
The UNESCO-listed Bijagós archipelago comprises 88 islands and islets (about 20 permanently inhabited) spread across more than 10,000 square kilometres (3,850 sq mi). The islands support rich biodiversity — including sea turtles, manatees, hippos, sharks and nearly 850,000 migratory birds — and sustain artisanal fisheries that around 25,000 people rely on.
Voices From The Islands
Antonio Honoria Joao, an administrative assistant and community organiser at Guinea-Bissau's Institute for Biodiversity and Protected Marine Areas (IBAP), said: “Every year, we lose up to 2 metres of the beach.” He warned that Bubaque, one of the most populated islands with nearly 5,000 residents, is “in danger.”
Local business owners and market vendors describe a widening gap between the land they know and the advancing sea. Adriano Carlos Souarez, who runs a small tourist camp, has erected a towering tyre barrier but already faces damage to buildings and the risk that a large kapok tree used as a natural dyke will be uprooted. Vegetable seller Joia Mendes Cno recalls a shore that was once far from town and is now inching closer each year.
Causes And Evidence
A government report, Guinea-Bissau's Strategic Plan 2025, warns that some stretches of coastline are retreating by as much as seven metres a year, accelerating mangrove loss and threatening both communities and wildlife. IBAP highlights climate change-driven sea-level rise and intensified rainwater runoff — which can trigger landslides — as central drivers. Human factors such as rapid, unplanned urbanisation and the dumping of waste on beaches further weaken the coast's resilience.
Conservation Response And Challenges
IBAP and local NGOs are mapping vulnerable sites, planting trees (including mangroves), and conducting community outreach to raise awareness and adapt local practices. UNESCO's heritage assessment notes a “strong likelihood” that climate change will alter water circulation and increase erosion and sedimentation risks. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) similarly warns that rising seas threaten coastal settlements and biodiversity globally.
Despite these efforts, aid is limited. An NGO representative, speaking anonymously, said international support is helpful but insufficient and called for greater government investment to protect the islands and the people who depend on them.
What Needs To Be Done
Experts and local leaders say a combination of immediate actions (mangrove restoration, waste management, resilient infrastructure and community planning) and long-term global emissions reductions are needed to slow sea-level rise. Strengthened funding, coordinated planning and sustainable livelihoods will be critical if the Bijagós are to remain habitable and ecologically intact.
