National Adaptation Programme of Action on Climate Change - 2008 - 2012

The archipelago of Cape Verde is made up of ten islands and nine islets and is located between latitudes 14º 28' N and 17º 12' N and longitudes 22º 40' W and 25º 22' W. It is located approximately 500 km from the Senegal coast in West Africa (Figure 1). The islands are divided into two groups: Windward and Leeward. The Windward group is composed of the islands of Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal and Boavista; and the Leeward group is composed of the islands Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava. The archipelago has a total land surface of 4,033 km2 and an Economic Exclusive Zone (ZEE) that extends for approximately 734,000 km2. In general, the relief is very steep, culminating with high elevations (e.g. 2,829 m on Fogo and 1,979 m on Santo Antão). The surface area, geophysical configuration and geology vary greatly from one island to the next. Cape Verde, due to its geomorphology, has a dense and complex hydrographical network. However, there are no permanent water courses and temporary water courses run only during the rainy season. These temporary water courses drain quickly towards the main watersheds, where, unless captured by artificial means, continue rapidly to lower areas and to the sea. This applies equally to the flatter islands. The largest watershed is Rabil with an area of 199.2 km2. The watershed areas on other islands extend over less than 70 km2. Cape Verde is both a least developed country (LDC) and a small island development state (SIDS). In 2002, the population of Cape Verde was estimated at approximately 451,000, of whom 52% were women and 48% men. The population was growing at an average 2.4% per year, and the urban population was estimated at 53.7 %. Over the past 15 years, the Government has implemented a successful development strategy, leading to a sustained economic growth anchored on development of the private sector and the integration of Cape Verde into the world economy. During this period, the tertiary sector has become increasingly important, with strong growth in the tourism, transport, banking and trade sectors. Overall, the quality of life indicators show substantial improvements in almost all areas: housing conditions, access to drinking water and sanitation, use of modern energy in both lighting and cooking, access to health services and education. Despite these overall socio-economic successes, the primary sector has witnessed limited progress. Weak performance in the primary sector has had a severe negative impact on the incomes and poverty risks faced by rural workers1. Moreover, relative poverty has increased significantly during the past decade. The poverty profile shows that: (i) extreme poverty is mostly found in rural areas, although it has also increased in urban areas; (ii) poverty is more likely to occur when the head of the household is a woman; (iii) poverty increases with family size; (iv) education significantly affects poverty; (v) the predominantly agricultural islands of Santo Antão and Fogo have the highest poverty rates; (vi) unemployment affects the poor more than the nonpoor; (vii) agriculture and fisheries workers are more likely to be poor than those in other sectors. Therefore, the fight against poverty and income inequalities remains one of the greatest challenges for Cape Verde authorities. The various governments of Cape Verde over the last decade have demonstrated a commitment to improving governance, notably by encouraging a democratic culture that guarantees stability and democratic changes without conflicts. This democratic governance offers a space for a wider participation of citizens in public management and consolidates social cohesion. However, there are some remaining challenges related to democratic governance and the gains must be systematically monitored. Finally, it is worth emphasizing that the country’s insularity has stimulated a movement to decentralized governance, although social inequalities and contrasts from one island to the next constitute, at the same time, challenges and opportunities.

Integração de sistema educativo Cabo-verdiano utilizando Web Services O caso das matrículas

O sistema educativo Cabo-verdiano é um universo constituído por escolas públicas e privadas, do nível pré-escolar ao nível do ensino superior. Dentro desse sistema nós vamos fundamentar os processos administrativos, que foca basicamente o processo de matrícula do aluno, no sistema de ensino vigente, até deixar o sistema, incluindo também o processo de emissão de certificados, visto que no acto das matrículas são requeridas certificados do ano transacto. A proposta de Integração, é a utilização do poder das tecnologias de comunicação e informação para interligar as instituições de ensino, de forma que a matricula dos alunos não seja algo cansativo com elevados processos burocráticos e custoso, para quem quer seguir os seus estudos, e também tornar a gestão do sistema mais simples. O trabalho irá focar basicamente o objecto aluno, e todos os níveis de ensino, porque o aluno é o actor no sistema, quem irá interagir (Inscrever, solicitar, transferir e ser avaliado) nos diversos níveis de ensino. O aluno passa pelos diversos sistemas, na medida que pode passar do sistema de ensino básico, para o ensino secundário ao ensino superior. Contudo o aluno será o mesmo, consequentemente a identidade do aluno será a mesma para os diversos sistemas, o que altera são as avaliações e os planos curriculares, criando um histórico do aluno. Ele tem um ciclo de vida dentro do sistema de ensino. No entanto o estudo permitiu concluir, que o sistema educativo apresenta profundas lacunas no que tange a sua infra-estrutura tecnológica, que lhes permitirá ter mais dinâmica no processo de matrícula e emissão de certificados e na troca de informação entre os estabelecimentos, há dificuldade em criar um histórico do aluno de forma automática com toda a sua avaliação durante o seu ciclo de estudo, do primário ao superior. A proposta de tecnologias de integração entre as instituições, é baseado em métodos, nomeadamente, utilizando Web Services, que é um protocolo simples, que permite a interoperabilidade entre diversos sistemas. Funciona com o protocolo HTTP/HTTPs, que pode ser configurado e acedido facilmente nos Sistemas de Informação. As tecnologias Web constituem um excelente meio de para atingir o objectivo preconizado. Utilizando-as, as escolas poderão construir um sistema (Intranet), que pode ser acedida por todos as escolas e instituições do sistema educativo, com grandes benefícios, quer em termos pedagógicos como administrativo das instituições permitindo assim a partilha das informações internas, melhorando a comunicação entre os vários intervenientes.