Population: 1,234,555 (July 1999 est.) Land Area: Total: 36,120 sq km Land: 28,000 sq km Water: 8,120 sq km Coastline: 350 km (Source:  CIA World Factbook 1999)

Ginea-Bissau                                 ..........in this page Contacts Basic Data CSD Data Ocean and Coastal Zone     Contacts   (Source:  CIA World Factbook 1999)   SUMMARY OF OCEAN  AND COASTAL PROGRAMS Many thanks are due to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the source of the information below. The information was taken from Ginea-Bissau's submission to the 7th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (last update: January 1999). For further information on social and economic factors, natural resources, and institutional structures in Ginea-Bissau see the United Nations System-Wide Web Site on National Implementation of the Rio Commitments National Information for Ginea-Bissau at http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/guineab/index.htm   OCEAN AND COASTAL AREAS The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was ratified in 1986. A number of issues regarding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea are of particular importance to Guinea-Bissau. These include the integrated management and sustainable development of coastal areas, including exclusive economic zones; the protection of the marine environment; regional and international cooperation and coordination; the sustainable development of natural parks located in the coastal area and Islands. Despite existing economic constraints and with the assistance of the international community, the Government of Guinea-Bissau has continued promoting the integrated management and sustainable development of the coastal area and the Islands. The government, through the National Office for Coastal Planning, signed an agreement with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to carry out environmental conservation activities in a number of protected areas and to promote the sustainable use of the coast's natural resources. In addition, it established an Annual Fisheries Management Plan, in 1996, which includes measures on the management and control of foreign fishing in coastal waters and measures and incentives to promote the national fishing industry. This Plan outlines fishing limits and permissible catch volumes by establishing a measure entitled Total Permissible Capture (TAC) and by allowing only authorized fishing boats to operate in the country's territorial waters. It also provides administrative and fiscal incentives to promote the national fishing industry, such as preferential tax concessions in granting fishing licences, allowing for the use of logistic support vessels, and elimination of all types of fiscal barriers previously imposed on national fishing companies. Nevertheless, despite efforts made at the sub-regional level to preserve coastal and marine resources, sustainable development plans and management approaches have not always succeeded due mostly to the lack of an appropriate surveillance system and to the lack of material and financial resources. As a result, the marine environment has deteriorated, and its resources have been under great pressure from over exploitation. The very nature of the country's coastline, flat and sedimentary, once led to the formation of a small group of Islands. The coast's productive habitats are extremely important for survival of the local population. About 65% of the total population of the country depends on coastal resources for their livelihood. Regarding the environmental conservation and development of the Islands, a conference was held in Bubaque, in 1996, organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Traditional Arts, in collaboration with the Office for Coastal Planning and the National Research Institute (INEP), to address development and conservation issues. The biosphere-reserve principles, elaborated by UNESCO, identify development models which are compatible with the current conditions of the Bijagos Archipelago, for they conciliate development plans with conservation activities as it has also been pursued in protected areas. Several development projects, partially financed by the IUCN, are being implemented in the Islands. These include a Geographic Information Systems Project which is being carried out by the Office for Coastal Planning, in collaboration with the National Research Institute, the IUCN, and GEOSYSTEMS (CNRS - Brest/France). Other projected activities and programmes include: A sustainable development programme for the Bolama-Bijagos Region aiming to establish the Biosphere Reserve (INEP, IUCN, UNDP, UNESCO, Ministry of Fisheries, among others). A project for the creation of the Cacheu National Park (Ministry of Rural Development and Agriculture and IUCN). A project for the creation of the Orango Islands National Park (Ministry of Rural Development and Agriculture in collaboration with the National Research Institute/INEP and the IUCN). The Draft-proposals on the creation of the above National Parks have been submitted to the government for approval. A development programme to explore traditional fishing in the Buba River. NGO support and advisory services are available for sustainable development projects (Min. Coop. Intern/IUCN). This information was provided by the Government of Guinea Bissau to the fifth session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: April 1997. 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