- About four in 10 São Toméans (38%) say that droughts have become “somewhat more severe” or “much more severe” in their area over the past decade. About three in 10 say the same about floods (29%), crop failure (28%), and mudslides or landslides (28%).
- Rural residents and citizens experiencing high lived poverty are more likely than their urban and better-off counterparts to report that these disasters are intensifying.
- Many São Toméans report having to adjust their lives in response to changing weather patterns, including using less water or changing water sources (46%), reducing or rescheduling outdoor work (41%), moving to a different place (26%), changing the types of crops they plant or the foods they eat (24%), and reducing their livestock holdings or changing grazing patterns (21% of those who own livestock).
- Half (50%) of São Toméans say they have heard of climate change. Among those familiar with the concept:
- Two-thirds (64%) say it is making life in São Tomé and Príncipe worse, up from 48% in 2018.
- Three-fourths (76%) blame climate change on human activity.
- Seven in 10 citizens (72%) say the people, businesses, and government of São Tomé and Príncipe are primarily responsible for causing climate change.
- More than three-fourths say rich countries should take immediate action to curb climate change (79%) and help São Tomé and Príncipe to address it (77%). Most (72%) want their own government to take immediate action as well, even if doing so incurs economic costs.
- Among all respondents, large majorities express support for possible policy responses to changes in climate, including investing in climate-resilient infrastructure (73%), putting pressure on developed countries for climate aid (72%), and investing in renewable energy technologies (69%). Six in 10 also favour requiring cookstoves that use cleaner fuels (61%) and banning tree cutting for firewood or charcoal (61%).
Climate change is among the most pressing development challenges facing small island developing states, whose economies, ecosystems, and livelihoods are particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, sea-level rise, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events (Rhiney, 2020). São Tomé and Príncipe, an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, faces significant climate-related risks despite contributing only a negligible share of global greenhouse-gas emissions (Government of São Tomé and Príncipe, 2025). The country’s heavy dependence on rain-fed agriculture, fisheries, and coastal resources, combined with limited adaptive capacity, makes it especially susceptible to the impacts of climate variability and climate change (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2023; United Nations Development Programme, 2022).
Climate-related hazards are already affecting development outcomes in São Tomé and Príncipe. Changes in rainfall patterns, coastal erosion, flooding, landslides, and prolonged dry spells threaten food security, water availability, infrastructure, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of rural communities. These challenges are expected to intensify in the coming decades, reinforcing the need for investments in climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and resilient infrastructure (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2023).
Recognising these vulnerabilities, the government and its development partners have identified climate resilience, renewable energy, sustainable natural-resource management, and environmental protection as key priorities for sustainable development (United Nations Development Programme, 2022). The country has also strengthened its climate commitments through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, and successive Nationally Determined Contributions statements (Government of São Tomé and Príncipe, 2025).
A special question module in Afrobarometer’s Round 10 survey (2024) explores São Toméans’ experiences, awareness, and attitudes related to climate change. Findings show that while fewer than half of citizens perceive worsening droughts, floods, or crop failures in their areas, many report adapting their daily lives to changing weather conditions. Public awareness of climate change is still limited to half of adults. But among those who have heard of the phenomenon, most believe it is making life worse, attribute it primarily to human activity, and support immediate action by both their government and developed countries. Citizens express strong backing for potential policy responses to changing weather patterns, including investments in climate-resilient infrastructure and renewable energy.
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