The ReLiMa Project, an international initiative to reduce marine litter through cleanup, recycling, and environmental education activities, was launched today in Cape Verde, involving the islands of Santiago, Maio and Fogo.
“The fundamental objective is to mobilize partners to combat marine litter in Cape Verde,” stated Januário Nascimento, president of the Association for the Defense of the Environment and Development (ADAD), during the official project launch at a meeting in the city of Praia.
The project for Reducing Marine Litter in Atlantic Small Island Developing States (ReLiMa) also includes Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as academia, businesses, and civil society for the prevention and valorization of marine waste.
Januário Nascimento explained that the initiative goes beyond the usual beach-cleaning campaigns, also foreseeing interventions on the seabed using new technologies.
The initial actions will be concentrated on the islands of Santiago, Maio, and Fogo, although the project foresees extending the action to São Vicente, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau—besides technical exchanges with Brazil and Germany.
The collected waste will be sent to recycling through the ADAD center in Praia.
“We will transport this trash, for instance, from Fogo and other islands to be recycled, and others will be sent to other countries for recycling purposes,” he explained.
Asked about the amount of waste the project aims to remove from the environment, Januário Nascimento said that this target will still be defined at a technical meeting among the partners.
The ADAD president acknowledged that the fight against marine litter remains a “complex challenge” and called for greater involvement of municipalities, also urging that funds from environmental and tourism funds be directed toward sanitation and the improvement of landfill and bin management.
The technical director of the German company Black Forest Solutions, Rafaela Creiser, stated that the project intends to develop solutions tailored to the Cape Verdean reality.
“The positive impact for Cape Verde is precisely the development of awareness-raising practices, technology, and infrastructure to prevent this kind of waste from ending up in the ocean,” she said.
Regarding the accumulation of waste in the protected area of Santa Luzia, the archipelago’s only uninhabited island and a nesting area for turtles, Rafaela Creiser assured that the situation will be monitored within the scope of the project.
“It is a case that we will monitor very closely to understand how we can act and prevent these wastes from remaining on the island,” she said.
The ReLiMa Project has an overall budget of five million euros and will last about four years, with around 480 thousand euros planned for Cape Verde, according to Januário Nascimento.
The initiative aims to strengthen cooperation between Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe in protecting marine ecosystems and promoting more sustainable waste management.
