Bijagos Archipelago: Impacts and Challenges for Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Archipelago of Bijagos in Guinea-Bissau is currently subject to numerous external impacts affecting their secular equilibrium. The islands were never contemplated by the colonial development, with the exception of two modest ports in Bubaque and Bolama. The latter place was the capital of the country from 1913 to 1941. The archipelago has attracted increasing interest on the part of economic agents, most of which are incompatible with the guarantee of sustainable development. There has been a general impoverishment as regards the preservation of marine resources, particularly with regard to the internal demographic pressure from a population that has doubled since 1981 and due to other external factors related to the neighboring and subsequent migration depletion of resources not renewable. The article analyzes the main vulnerabilities that the archipelago is currently facing and how natural resources have been preserved. The article follows an interdisciplinary approach between different areas of knowledge especially in projects involving both different academic fields (biology, ecology, geography, anthropology and history), for the non-scientific practices that include actors and institutions. Keywords: Natural Resources; Sustainability; Potentials; Vulnerabilities. ARQUIPELAGO DOS BIJAGOS: impactos e desafios para a sustentabilidade ambiental RESUMO O Arquipelago dos Bijagos na Guine-Bissau e actualmente sujeito a numerosos impactos externos que afetam o seu equilibrio secular. As ilhas nunca foram contempladas pelo desenvolvimento colonial, com a excecao de dois portos modestos em Bubaque e Bolama. Este ultimo lugar foi capital do pais entre 1913 a 1941. O arquipelago tem despertado cada vez mais interesse por parte de agentes economicos, na maioria dos quais incompativeis com a garantia de um desenvolvimento sustentavel. Tem-se assistido a um empobrecimento geral no que respeita a preservacao dos recursos marinhos, particularmente no que diz respeito a pressao demografica interna de uma populacao que duplicou desde 1981 e devido a outros fatores externos relacionados com as migracoes vizinhas e consequente esgotamento de recursos nao renovaveis. O artigo pretende analisar as principais vulnerabilidades que o arquipelago atualmente enfrenta e o modo como os recursos naturais tem vindo a ser preservados. O artigo segue uma metodologia interdisciplinar entre diversas areas do saber e do conhecimento sobretudo em projetos que envolvam tanto as diferentes areas academicas (biologia, ecologia, geografia, antropologia e historia), quanto as praticas nao-cientificas que incluem atores e instituicoes diversas. Keywords: Recursos Naturais; Sustentabilidade; Potencialidades; Vulnerabilidades. ARCHIPEL DES BIJAGOS: impacts et defis pour la durabilite de l'environnement RESUME L'Archipel des Bijagos en Guinee-Bissau est actuellement soumis a de nombreux chocs externes affectant leur equilibre seculaire. Les iles ont jamais ete envisagees par le developpement colonial, a l'exception de deux ports modestes Bubaque et Bolama. Le dernier endroit etait la capitale du pays de 1913 a 1941. L'archipel a attire l'interet croissant de la part des agents economiques, dont la plupart ne sont pas compatibles avec la garantie d'un developpement durable. Il y a eu un appauvrissement general en ce qui concerne la preservation des ressources marines, en particulier en ce qui concerne la pression demographique interne a partir d'une population qui a double depuis 1981 et en raison d'autres facteurs externes lies a l'epuisement des voisins et la migration ulterieure des ressources non renouvelable. Cet article analyse les principales vulnerabilites que l'archipel est actuellement confrontee et comment les ressources naturelles ont ete preserves. L'article suit une approche interdisciplinaire entre les differents domaines de la connaissance et de la connaissance en particulier dans les projets impliquant a la fois differents domaines academiques (biologie, ecologie, geographie, anthropologie et d'histoire), pour les pratiques non-scientifiques qui comprennent des acteurs et des institutions. Mots cles: Ressources Naturelles; Developpement Durable; Potentiel; Vulnerabilites.