Study site description: Ribeira Seca, Cape Verde

Table of Contents

1. Responsible IP partner
2. General information
3. Bio-physical description
4. Socio-economic description
   1. Population density and structure
   2. Level of education
   3. Level and sources of income
   4. Major livelihood sources
   5. Impacts of land degradation on livelihoods
   6. Major challenges to land resource management
   7. Major drivers of land degradation processes
   8. Other relevant socio-economic indicators
5. Institutional and political setting
6. Relevant end-users / stakeholder groups
7. Past and on-going projects

Population density and structure

According to the 2000 census, the population at the Ribeira Seca catchment is 14,343 inhabitants, distributed through the 299 localities, having a density of 200 inhabitants/km². Women constitute the higher share with 53.15%, from which 42.5% are heads of family. The population is very young, with 48.3% being below 15 years of age and 77% less than 35 years old. The average size of a family that lives inside the basin is 6 members. The population growth between 1990 and 2000 was 8% and the literacy rate 83%.

The distribution of population in the basin is very heterogeneous. The majority is concentrated in the littoral area and a minor part is located along the main watercourse of the basin.

The high annual average population growth rate (2.4% during the period 1990-2000) confronts the country with serious development problems and challenges, and may cause deterioration of the living conditions of the of the more vulnerable people.

Cape Verde's main development problem in the social sphere is the persistence of poverty, especially among women, in a context of imbalanced space distribution: there is a tendancy towards aggravation in the urban centers, resulting from the strong demographic pressure on available resources.

The gender index tends towards a better balance, going from 85 men to every 100 women in 1980 to 90 in 1990, and 94 in 2000 (2000 Census).