Cape Verde
Climate
A generally dry, warm Atlantic island climate influenced by trade winds. Conditions differ between islands and elevations; infrequent but intense rain can be as important as long dry periods.
Geographic hazards
- Flash floods & steep terrain
Dry channels can carry sudden runoff. Check drainage routes, hillside stability, retaining structures and access during heavy rain.
- Drought, wind & coastal exposure
Verify reliable water supply and storage. Salt-laden wind can accelerate corrosion of exposed metal, roof fittings and inadequately protected reinforcement.
- Volcanic hazards
Fogo and nearby volcanic settings require island-specific information about active volcanic areas, ash and evacuation routes. Do not apply the same volcanic risk to every island.
- Tropical storms
Direct tropical-cyclone impacts are less frequent than in many Caribbean locations, but damaging events can occur. Check roof anchorage and rainwater management rather than treating the islands as storm-free.
Insects and rot
A dry climate does not protect timber that stays wet from roof, plumbing or coastal leaks. Ask about local termite and wood-borer activity and inspect roof timbers, doors and concealed damp areas. Choose protection suitable for the actual exposure.
Best-fit building approaches
- Engineered concrete & reinforced masonry
Can suit exposed island sites when roof anchorage, drainage and corrosion-resistant detailing are properly engineered. Assess workmanship, concrete quality and reinforcement protection, not just wall thickness.
Read the concrete & block guide - Engineered steel framing
Can provide a lighter structural option, but needs a coastal corrosion strategy, maintained coatings and site-specific wind connections. Thermal performance and condensation must also be designed.
Read the steel guide
Buyer checks
Confirm the island, elevation, drainage catchment and access risks.
Check water availability, storage arrangements and salt-related corrosion.
Obtain local volcanic and slope information where relevant.
Check a specific property
Print or save as PDF using your browser. Includes country guidance, official links and blank spaces for handwritten notes. No property details are saved.
These official resources help you ask better questions; they do not provide a parcel-level risk assessment. A map does not guarantee safety, and an unmapped or blank area does not mean no hazard. We do not assign automatic property risk scores.
- Collect the address, region/municipality, cadastral parcel reference and coordinates from the seller or surveyor. Check the map pin against the actual plot, not just the postcode or village centre.
- Open the relevant resource below. Where there is no address search, use coordinates, local landmarks or the named regional map sheet. Check the plot, access roads and evacuation routes.
- Read the legend, scale, publication date, model scenario and coverage. A “100-year” event is a probability scenario, not a promise of one event per century. Check current official warnings separately before visiting.
- Ask the responsible authority for the latest local study and restrictions. Give the findings to a qualified surveyor, structural/geotechnical engineer and insurer before relying on them in a purchase.
Initial resource research: 14 October 2026; individual review dates are below. External services may change or be temporarily unavailable; use the named authority if a viewer will not open. Links open in a new tab.
- Map portal
IDE-CV — territorial and risk-management mapping
Authority: Instituto Nacional de Gestão do Território (INGT), Cabo Verde
Hazards: Flood, fire, seismic and volcanic cartography where published
Coverage: Cabo Verde; datasets vary by island and municipality.
How to locate the property: Open Gestão de Riscos and choose the island and concelho. Open a relevant map or dataset and zoom to the settlement or parcel coordinates; inspect its scale, date and coverage before comparing the plot.
Limits: A catalogue category does not mean every island has a usable hazard layer. No complete public address-level multi-hazard map was verified. Fogo volcanic information must not be applied to all islands.
Editorial review: 2026-10-14. Published edition [not-recorded]: Edition or layer dates were not recorded in the initial research; verify with the publisher. This is not a live status or property assessment.
Confirm locally — including gaps in mapping
Contact INGT via the portal and the Câmara Municipal for the island/concelho. Request drainage-channel, coastal inundation/erosion, slope and volcanic restrictions, and ask the Serviço Nacional de Proteção Civil e Bombeiros for evacuation information. Where a layer is absent, obtain local records and an engineering survey rather than assuming low risk.