FROM THE FIELD: Watering the parched farmland of São Tomé and Príncipe

June 4, 2019 by United Nations Leave a Comment

In São Tomé and Príncipe, the UN Development Programme has supported farmers to produce crops during the dry season. (file 2017)

UNDP São Tomé and Príncipe In São Tomé and Príncipe, the UN Development Programme has supported farmers to produce crops during the dry season. (file 2017)

This article is brought to you in association with the United Nations.

Farmers on the island of São Tomé and Príncipe, off the western coast Africa, are being supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to become more resilient in the face of climate fluctuations which have left the land parched and farmers without an income. A decrease in rainfall has meant that crops can no longer be grown in the dry season, so UNDP, working with government agencies, has supported the development of an irrigation system which all farmers can benefit from. The project on the island archipelago is not only providing access to water and the chance to grow more crops for sale, it is also building awareness about how life and farming practices must adapt to the realities of climate change. Ahead of World Environment Day, marked annually on 5 June, read more about the farmers of São Tomé and Príncipe.

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