Cape Verde: Island paradise with a dark side | DW Documentary

0:02 Cape Verde lies almost 600 kilometers off the coast of mainland Africa. Ten islands in the Atlantic. A former Portuguese colony, this archipelago nation declared independence in 1975. Cape Verde is often associated with its rugged mountains and expansive beaches. While the name translates to "Green Cape," many parts of the country are anything but. The islands are on the frontline of climate change. The problem is that it doesn't rain here anymore. We have no water. While water is scarce in some parts, elsewhere it flows in abundance.

0:53 Do you know that in this country there is a lack of water? No. No, I didn’t. Tourism is the country's main source of wealth, accounting for 25% of its GDP. Every year, four international airports bring in about one million visitors, most of whom stay in the big hotels… They can have food as many times as they want; they can have drinks as many times as they want. But mass tourism can wreak havoc on the environment. Sometimes, there is more than 100 tourists here. So probably they can change their behavior.

1:39 It touched me! Business is thriving. But most Cape Verdeans aren't reaping the benefits. The money doesn't arrive here. What you pay there, it stays there. On Cape Verde, most things can be monetized – even the sand on its beaches. In the town of Ribeira da Barca, local women risk their lives to extract sand from the sea so they can sell it and provide for their families. It's dangerous work. People die. The archipelago nation also faces a waste problem. Plastics from around the world end up here, putting sea turtles at risk.

2:25 They're very fragile, and it's hard because they can die. This is the other face of Cape Verde, the one tourist guides don't show. The Cape Verde islands are far out in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s been several days since the fishermen here have been able to set out to sea. But these young men from the village of São Pedro keep busy. When the swell is too heavy to launch their boats, they still go "fishing"

3:11 – but for tourists. Florentino has carved out a new role for himself and his friends as tour operators. We've managed to tame the sea turtles. There's a whole group of us doing it. And it's working? It's great. And dozens of people come to see them. Everyone loves them! However, this is not the season for sea turtles. At this time of year, they're usually thousands of kilometers away. This morning, the young men have managed to persuade Denilson, a French tourist with Cape Verdean ancestry, to come on an adventure with them. He's a bit worried. He doesn't have a life jacket, and the waves look choppy.

4:01 Am I afraid? No, not really. If my time is up, then that’s it. No, really, I trust them. But we didn't pick the best day. Luckily, everyone manages to stay on board. And now, they just need to wait. Florentino knows the turtles will arrive any minute, like they always do. How do you get the turtles to come?

4:49 They hear the engine and come close to eat. We feed them fish. Turtles usually eat algae. But we got them used to eating fish when they were very small. Look, here’s one coming now. Over time, Florentino and his friends have changed the turtles' migration cycle and even their diet. Gorging on fish, the turtles have put on weight.

5:34 Wow! They're huge! The fishermen pivoted to taming turtles after fish stocks became too scarce. Since 2007, as part of an agreement with the Cape Verdean government, huge European vessels have been allowed to fish in the waters around the islands. Industrial overfishing has squeezed out local fishers. The fishing is bad. For the moment, we depend on the turtles. Without this, we’d be out of a job.

6:19 Denilson paid 20 euros to see the turtles. With that money, Florentino can feed his family for a week. Like Florentino, many Cape Verdeans are prepared to do whatever it takes to make ends' meet – whatever the consequences for the environment. The Poilão dam was once heralded as one of Cape Verde’s proudest achievements. It was originally built to irrigate an entire valley in the south of Santiago. But today, the dam has dried up. That’s because it’s been years since the islands have seen significant rain.

7:09 Close by is the small village of Montenegro, a cluster of houses at the foot of a mountain. Every day, in the late afternoon, the same ritual takes place: Families gather around the village's only fountain and wait for Martha. Martha is the keeper of the keys and manages access to the fountain. I turn on the tap so that everyone can have water.

7:57 Is there a limit for each person? Depends. If we don't have much, it’s limited. Otherwise, you get what you want. Water is pumped from underground, and the level varies depending on the season. When water is plentiful, each family is entitled to three containers of 25 liters per day. But at the moment, there's a shortage, so each family is only allotted one container. It costs eight escudos for 25 liters - that’s the equivalent of seven euro cents. And there's an ongoing problem… This fountain keeps breaking down. It's unbearable! The next day, just as predicted, the pump broke down again

8:45 – the third time since the start of the year. In his farmhouse above the village, Promao Gonçalves keeps an anxious eye on the activity around the fountain. Look at all these empty containers. I don't know what we're going to do. We have no water here! We have no water! Like everyone in the village, the Gonçalves family has never had running water. Inside her small stone kitchen, Inès, the mother, must make do with a jug.

9:31 This is the water I use for cooking, washing up, and drinking. With the few liters of water she has left, Inès barely has enough to cook for the next two days. The lack of water is a problem for livestock, too. Promao needs 80 liters of water and 10 kilograms of straw a day for his two donkeys and eight goats. This year, thank God, we had straw.

10:16 But there have been years when we've had nothing to feed the animals. Many of them died. Between 2018 and 2020, I lost my cows. The lack of rain makes it difficult to grow grass. A country like this in the middle of the sea can't run out of water. It's not possible. The government must solve this problem. If we don't have water, we can't eat! In the countryside, 40% of families have no running water.

11:01 In the city, residents cope with aging infrastructure and frequent cuts in supply. This is Praia, capital of Cape Verde. The city is home to 200,000 people, nearly 40% of Cape Verde's entire population. Here, the severe drought has created a new profession: "water vendor." Domingos is one of them. Pull the hose!

11:48 Today he’s delivering 1,000 liters to this construction site. I sold them 1,000 liters for seven euros. Isn’t that expensive? It's the market price. Who sets the price? Some of my colleagues charge up to eight or 10 euros for 1000 liters – including transport. The less we deliver, the more it costs. The lack of water has created a very lucrative business. And it’s not only the vendors who benefit. Across town, there’s an oasis in the middle of the capital. It’s been nicknamed "Tahiti" for its palm and banana trees.

12:37 This is where Domingos comes for supplies several times a day. Where does this water come from? The well. Can't say we're low, can we? "Tahiti" has become a kind of service station for water. Praia's water vendors all know about it. As soon as he's finished filling his tank, Domingos goes to pay. Jason keeps track of the accounts. We total it all up at the end of the day. Yesterday, for example, we ended the day with 60 euros. But it varies a lot from day to day.

13:23 The best day we've ever had was 120 euros. 120 euros in one day. It’s almost half the average monthly wage in Cape Verde. What’s surprising is that the well belongs neither to the state nor to the municipality of Praia. It belongs to a woman by the name of Georgette. She's a civil servant and a mother. Georgette inherited this house and its well from her father. Whose water is in the well? Is it yours or is it groundwater? I'm not sure about that. The well was part of the estate when we bought it,

14:11 so we declared it to the town hall. Nobody has ever asked me that question. How much do you make? More or less? You want to know how much? Yes. More or less. Or is that private? Yes. I don't want to talk about that. But even if she doesn't name a figure, it's clear: For Georgette, the water from the well represents a comfortable supplement to her salary. Her income allows her to hire domestic workers to run her house. With its lush garden, it's one of the most beautiful in the capital. The water problem in Cape Verde is nothing new.

14:59 To help alleviate the shortage, the country turned to one of its most abundant resources – the sea. The government has built desalination plants across the archipelago. This one is supposed to supply 20,000 cubic meters of water every day – water pumped from 50 meters below sea level. Pumping stations working ok? Yes, working well. Antão Cruz is the director of the Electra Group,

15:44 a state-owned company that manages eight desalination plants in Cape Verde. How many membranes are there in total? Seven in each tube… A desalination plant looks a bit like a giant still. Filter after filter removes sand, and then salt. After treatment, the plant discharges brine into the sea. Is it much saltier than the sea? Much, much saltier. How much?

16:30 I don't know the figures. Three to four times saltier? There are places where it’s used therapeutically. With this change to their environment, fish have deserted the coastal waters. Every environmental study on desalination plants has shown that brine discharges are harmful to marine life, rocks, and coral. And that's not the only problem. What energy does the plant use? The plant? Electric power. From where? From the power station up there. From the transformer. In fact, the power plant that supplies the desalination plant runs on diesel:

17:17 52,000 liters a day, releasing thousands of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Considering the price of fuel, desalination plants produce the most expensive water in the country. Only the wealthiest can afford it. Our next stop is Sal, one of Cape Verde’s most popular islands. Well over half a million tourists flock to these pristine beaches every year.

18:08 This small island, 30 kilometers long and 12 kilometers wide, welcomes over 60% of Cape Verde's tourists. At first glance, it would seem as if they're the only people in the country not suffering from the drought. In the south, some 20 establishments are sprawled across the beach. Among them are Meliá, Hilton, Oasis, and Riu, one of the largest hotel groups in the world. Riu has six establishments in Cape Verde and was the only one that allowed us to film on their premises, on the condition that we interviewed only the manager. Is this the first time you came here? Yes, the first time

18:53 Hope you enjoy it, and you will come back. Thank you. Have a nice day! Daniele Rossini runs two of the group's hotels. Over the last 20 years, he has overseen the growth and development of what is now his pride and joy. The coconut trees. We're very jealous of them. We reproduce them and you can see that since 2005 when we started the hotels, the plants are growing very fast, and they created this oasis in the desert. Given the price of water, this "oasis" costs the Riu some 12,000 euros every month.

19:38 Not to mention the swimming pools. Four huge pools, each containing 600 cubic meters of water and featuring its own poolside bar. Luxury enjoyed by thousands of tourists – mainly Europeans – every year. The hotel also offers a large hot tub and children's pools. At the Riu, water is one of the largest items in the budget. But like all the hotels in the area,

20:24 the cost for an all-inclusive experience is relatively low, depending on the season. All the guests here are all-inclusive. That means that they can have food as many times as they want. They can have drinks as many times as they want, and they can absolutely forget money in the hotel. …and the guests here take full advantage. But how do giants of tourism like Riu manage to keep their prices affordable for guests? Daniele Rossini lets us in on one cost-saving measure:

21:11 Every month, he must buy 600 tons of food to supply the hotels' restaurants. His secret: almost all of it is imported. Sometimes from very far away. Most of the things, especially because of the quantity we need, comes from abroad. For example? For example… what can I tell you? For example, chicken comes from abroad. All the meat comes from abroad. The chicken comes from the US, the beef from South America. The fish comes from where? Sometimes Vietnam, sometimes Brazil, sometimes Portugal, sometimes Spain. The business buys where the products are cheapest, even if it's on the other side of the planet.

21:56 As a result, the hotel chain purchases almost nothing from Cape Verde – to the dismay of locals. This pier in Santa Maria is one of the liveliest places on the island. Here, most fishermen don't sell to the big hotels, which consider locally sourced fish far too expensive. But that's not all. We meet Anderson in the middle of the market.

22:43 He's one of the island's many tour guides. He knows the big hotel system well. He used to work there. The money doesn't arrive here. What you pay there, it stays there. I worked before for all-inclusive [hotels] on this island, but I don't want to work for them anymore. Our minimum salary is very complicated. Ten euros a day. Sometimes security for your hotel, it’s seven euros a day for eight hours. For protection. OK? So welcome to my island. The state charges visitors a tax of 2 euros per person per night, but apart from that, tourism does little for the local economy.

23:30 And the industry is posing an increasing threat to the environment. Apart from the big hotels, there's not much to do on Sal. There's an 18-hole golf course with or without grass. But the main attraction is just on the other side. It's known as Shark Bay. It touched me! You don’t seem very comfortable! Yes. It touched me! Every day, dozens of tourists come to see the sharks,

24:16 most of which aren't longer than 80 centimeters. You want to touch them anyway? Yes. The bay is a nursery. Female sharks come here to give birth because the water is warmer. They're tame lemon sharks. They are baby sharks. They're called lemon sharks because of the colors. The fins are, like yellow. Locals came up with the idea of turning it into an attraction. They charge tourists three euros to see the babies up close.

25:07 Guides use fish to attract the baby sharks. And that's become a problem. A few meters away from the tourists, Denis, a 30-year-old from Cape Verde, is preparing equipment for the day. Do you know how it’s done? Denis is part of an NGO, "Project Biodiversity," which wants to measure the impact of mass tourism on sharks. Denis wants to place a GPS chip under the skin of the little sharks to monitor their movements.

25:53 He wonders if the sharks are being disincentivized to head back to sea, because they're getting fed every day by the guides. Sometimes there is more than a hundred tourists here. If you can control the tourists’ behavior so they don’t go snorkeling with the sharks, if they don't touch the sharks, there will be less impact. Zero impact – it's impossible. The NGO hopes the data it collects will prove useful,

26:40 as environmentalists grow more concerned about the future of baby sharks. With new charter airlines serving the island, visitor numbers are set to increase by 30% – intensifying the pressure from tourism on the island of Sal. Back on the island of Santiago, soldiers are patrolling this beach in the eastern part of the island several times a day. The state has called in the army to protect an increasingly scarce resource: This black sand, shining like a diamond.

27:30 On many of the island's beaches, it has completely disappeared. All that remains are shores strewn with rocks and pebbles. For years, women in Ribeira da Barca have taken part in an illegal trade linked to the construction industry. With no other prospects for making a living, they've turned to digging up the sand from the beaches. We're going to the beach. Yes, go to work. They collected all the sand that covered the beach long ago.

28:19 Now, they’re forced to extract it from the seabed. Salete is 32 and has two children. She's been doing this all her life. What we're doing is illegal, but we need to do it. We don't have anything to eat at home. We come to collect sand so we can feed our children. The women work at low tide. The swell is so strong that they team up with men who plunge below the water to extract the sand.

29:14 The women carry some 50 kilograms of sand on their heads on each trip. Accidents are common. I'm used to this job. At first, I was afraid. Look, you're hurt! Yes, right here! It’s dangerous, isn’t it? The shovel hit me in the face. You hurt yourself filling the bucket?

29:59 Yes, I hurt myself. Because she can't swim, Salete risks her life every time she enters the water. Many of the other women can't swim either. It's a dangerous job. People die. The sea is dangerous. Some people have drowned, others have broken their arms, others their feet. You're always getting hurt. They dump the sand in a pile on the beach and wait for a truck to come pick it up.

30:49 Normally, the truck comes every week. But it's been 15 days since the last pick-up. Please don't drop any sand! Are the stones stable? Check that your stone isn’t moving. In two hours, the women load about 20 tons of sand, earning only 230 euros for the haul – which they must divide among 11 people.

31:35 It's a lot of effort for not much money. Our backs hurt. We're tired. Salete has only received 20 euros for the last two weeks of work. The women of Ribeira da Barca’s gruelling work supplies the construction industry throughout the region. A truck delivers the sand to a large, well-established company in town. The illegally extracted raw material is a crucial component of these concrete blocks.

32:21 Some 5,000 are made every week, and they're the cheapest in the area. In the courtyard, customers are in a hurry to buy them. What did you come to buy? Concrete blocks. What for? To build my house. Do you know that the women who get sand get it from the sea? Yes, I know it's sad to see these women coming out of the sea with their buckets on their heads. It’s heavy. Later, they'll have health problems. But we can't buy anything else. We have no choice. Because of the illegal extraction,

33:08 the company achieves record sales of 10,000 euros every month – almost 40 times the average wage in Cape Verde. The women of Ribeira da Barca, like Salete, have no idea just how much the builders are profiting from their work. We meet up with Salete again at the end of the day. Meet my children. Ivanilson is 14, and Vania is 4. Did you take care of your sister? No, I forgot.

33:54 Did you feed her? No. Come on. I’ll give you something to eat. Their home may be small, but Salete manages to get food on the table every day. But she doesn’t know if she’ll have enough money to send her son to school. He should go to the school in the town 20 kilometers away. I'm going to have to pay 30 euros a month for the bus. If I don't have the money, he won't be able to go to school. What would you like to do later on?

34:41 I'd like to emigrate to find a job, so that my children can have a future. But that hasn’t been possible so far. Some residents of Ribeira da Barca have already left to work abroad, and they're not the only ones. In fact, more than 800,000 Cape Verdeans have left their homeland for work – that's more than the country's current population. Of the 10 islands comprising Cape Verde, one is uninhabited by humans.

35:30 Santa Luzia has an arid climate and a desert-like landscape. Sea turtles come here to lay their eggs – but not all survive. This nature reserve has become a garbage dump and needs protection. The Atlantic Ocean's currents are to blame. They carry waste from Africa, North and South America, and Europe to the shores of Cape Verde. At the end of June, hundreds of sea turtles come to the island

36:19 to lay their eggs, landing on beaches littered with plastic. This footage was taken by an environmental association dedicated to saving sea turtles. I think I'll be able to save this one. The association is called Biosfera. Every year since 2015, it has organized a clean-up of the northern beach of Santa Luzia – just before the turtles start laying their eggs.

37:16 The association brings hundreds of liters of water and tons of food and equipment to set up a base camp. For five days, the camp will host around 10 volunteers. Leila coordinates the operation. Last year, we managed to clean three kilometers of beach. It's not much, but it's more than the year before. And our aim this year is to get a bit further. The next morning, the team gets off to an early start. By 5 a.m., it's all hands on deck.

38:03 Come on, guys! We're running late. Let's go. Everyone take something. Where do we start? There or over there? From that crate there. This is medicine. From a Malaysian country I believe. We find a lot of medicines here. We don’t know why. Many times still full. Without being used. It's very strange, actually…

38:53 This one comes from France. Codeine. In addition to unexpired medication, they find detergents from South Korea and Morocco. It’s very far away. This comes from Morocco. This is a bottle of water. Saudi Arabia. The volunteers come across all sorts of things – including this strange object that nobody has managed to remove in six years: A length of underwater telecommunications cable weighing several tons. Look at this! No way we can remove it.

39:38 We don't understand how these things get here, honestly. There are also the large nets left behind by industrial fishing boats, which wind up half-buried beneath the pebbles. Good luck getting that done, guys! This is very dangerous especially for the small turtles because they can get trapped when they’re coming out of the nets. Ronaldo is 27 years old. This is the second year he's come to clean up the beaches of Santa Luzia. He's still appalled by what he finds. I think it's a disaster. Because if all of this ends up here, imagine what's on the seabed.

40:28 It's double. It's triple. It's enormous. I'm very sad. Very, very sad. Every year, the association collects around 60 tonnes of plastic and fishing nets. As they don't have the means to dispose of them or treat them, they simply store them in these crates until a solution is found. We made this one last year, didn't we? At the end of the shore, there's even more trash.

41:15 But due to a lack funding and volunteers, the association isn’t able to clean it up. It's very heartbreaking and overwhelming to see this and to know that even if you try your best every day you cannot fix this problem. And even if you bring the volunteers and take this waste, next year it will be the same. So, even if we stop now, we would still face this problem for the next 50 years. Even though the situation can feel discouraging, Leila and her team know their efforts are paying off.

42:02 Thanks to conservation efforts, the sea turtle population here has increased in recent years. And Cape Verde is now home to one of the largest populations of nesting loggerhead turtles in the world.