Environmental law in Cape Verde: legislation, policies and practices

Cape Verde is a semi-arid archipelago with fragile island ecosystems and strong exposure to rainfall variability. In these conditions, environmental law is not an accessory chapter of the legal order: it is the set of rules that defines how the country uses its soil, water and biodiversity without exhausting the resources it depends on. This guide presents the central pieces of that legal framework.

The Framework Environment Law

The structural piece of the Cape Verdean environmental framework is Law 86/IV/93, of 26 June, the Framework Environment Law (Lei de Bases do Ambiente), published in the Official Gazette in the first legislative cycle of the Second Republic. The law establishes the fundamental principles of environmental policy and the general framework for the protection of natural components. The full text is available in the international legal databases (FAOLEX) and the country’s official documents continue to identify it as the principal environmental norm; enacted legislation can be consulted in the Electronic Official Gazette.

Environmental impact assessment

Since 2020, public and private projects likely to produce significant environmental effects are subject to a dedicated legal regime of environmental impact assessment (AIA), approved by Decree-Law 27/2020, of 19 March. In practice, this means that the decision to approve large projects must be preceded by a documented analysis of their environmental impacts and of the mitigation measures, with the proponent’s participation and control by the competent administration.

The AIA regime is the main bridge between environmental law and everyday administrative practice: it turns the general principles of the Framework Law into concrete decisions about works, infrastructure and economic activities.

Land management, water and sanitation

Environmental protection articulates with the land regime (Decree-Legislative 2/2007), which disciplines the occupation and use of the territory, particularly relevant in a country where land suitable for settlement and agriculture is scarce.

On the water side, the sector is managed within the State’s institutional framework, notably the National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANAS), created to regulate and supervise the water and sanitation sector, a critical area in a semi-arid archipelago dependent on groundwater and desalination.

Sector institutions

Environmental policy is conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, within which the National Directorate for the Environment operates. The ministry publishes sector documentation on its portal, including official gazettes and environmental regulatory instruments. The names of institutions change with government reshuffles; consult the portal for the current designation.

Implementation challenges

As in other small countries, the Cape Verdean challenge lies less in the absence of rules than in their application: institutional capacity for enforcement, monitoring data and limited financial resources. Integrated water resources management, the prevention of desertification and the protection of island biodiversity are permanent priorities that depend on the articulation between the laws referred to here and the practical capacity to enforce them.

About this page

This guide is informational and does not constitute legal advice. The text was verified on 8 October 2026 against the acts published in the Electronic Official Gazette and the official sector portals. Possible amendments after the 1993 Framework Environment Law and the full text of the AIA regime were not verified on this date; before any decision with legal relevance, confirm the status of the statutes and consult a lawyer enrolled in the Bar Association of Cape Verde.