Text size:

News

Plan for the environment presented at the Regional Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development

Nov. 3, 2021

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change, Alonso Miguel, presented this Tuesday the Region's Investments Plan for the environment area, regarding 2022, to the value of 27.4 million euros, in a meeting of the Regional Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development that took place on Terceira.

According to Alonso Miguel, "this investment increase of about 8.5 million euros, compared to 2021, reflects the strategic relevance that the environment has for the XIII Government, with the priorities of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change being based on strategic axes, such as the fight against climate change, nature conservation and biodiversity preservation, promotion of environmental quality, management of water resources and spatial planning".

On the fight against climate change, the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change said that, during 2022, "will be concluded the revisions of the Regional Flood Risk Management Plan and of the Drought and Water Scarcity Management Plan, and the mid-term evaluation of the Regional Programme for Climate Change", that will be essential tools to prepare the Region for the challenges that we face worldwide.

The Regional Secretary also affirmed that the Government "will begin the elaboration of the Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality in the Azores, will launch a project for the Improvement of the Knowledge of the Location and Conservation Status of Organic Soils and Peatbogs and Monitoring the Carbon Stock".

Alonso Miguel mentioned the importance of two projects of great relevance for the mitigation and adaptation to climate change: the project of elaboration of risk cartography for the mitigation and adaptation to climate change, as well as the production of vectorial cartography for the Azores, "something never done before and that will allow creating digital models of the terrain and surface, with a level of detail that the Region has never had access to before".

The other project aims to implement flood warning systems in risk watersheds of the Autonomous Region of the Azores [RAA] for the decrease of natural risks and will allow complying with measures foreseen on the Watershed Management Plan [PGRH] and the Flood Risk Management Plan of the RAA [PGRIA].

Regarding the water resources, the Regional Secretary highlighted that 2022 "will also be the year in which will be implemented flood warning systems in risk watersheds in the Region, which will be a fundamental instrument for minimising natural risks".

Concerning the Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Preservation, Alonso Miguel affirms that, in the next year, the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA, the LIFE VIDALIA and the LIFE BEETLES projects will continue, and the LIFE SNAILS, now approved, will begin.

In relation to the waste and circularity management, a set of relevant tools will be concluded, such as the conclusion of the Revision of the Strategic Plan for Waste Prevention and Management, the General System of Waste Prevention and Management, the Sistema de Depósito de Embalagens não Reutilizáveis de Bebidas nos Açores (System for the Deposit of Non-reusable Beverage Packaging in the Azores), as well as the preparation of the Regional Circular Economy Roadmap. In this framework, it is also important to mention the creation of a technical guide for the implementation of PAYT systems in the Azores, with the corresponding launch of pilot projects.

Concerning the promotion of environmental quality, it will be made an investment in the air quality monitoring network and information platform, in the maintenance of the Air Quality Monitoring Stations (EMQA) equipment, in the upgrade of the automatic stations and the development of an information platform to make the respective data available online and in real-time, as well as the installation of a new EMQA on Terceira.

Regarding investments in jobs to execute, the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change announced to be planned the investment of about 7.3 million euros, highlighting the following interventions:
•   Intervention on the infrastructure complex of Porto Pim, for the restoration of the damages caused by the Lorenzo Hurricane;
•   Algar do Carvão Environmental Interpretation Centre – Terceira;
•   Rehabilitation of the Lagoa do Fogo Viewpoint;
•   Conclusion of the Requalification of the Walking Trails of the Caldeira da Serra de Santa Bárbara – Terceira;
•   Ponta da Ferraria Interpretative Route, which included the rehabilitation of the Ponta da Ferraria Viewpoint;
•   Landscaping plan intervention on the woodland zone of the Lagoa do Congro;
•   Rehabilitation of the Pedro Miguel Nucleus of the Faial Botanic Garden, which includes park construction until 2023;
•   Rehabilitation of the Monte da Guia Pedestrian and Interpretative Route, including the Viewpoint, that foresees the construction of the Caldeirinhas Viewpoint Car Park, Monte da Guia – Faial;
•   Contract work for the restructuring of the Sete Cidades leisure area – São Miguel;
•   Stabilization of Grota da Lagoinha and streams of the southwest zones of Terceira;
•   Construction of a ditch to divert the flow between Ribeira do Dilúvio and Ribeira da Prainha (streams) – Pico;
•   Intervention and Planification of the Flows of Terceira's Streams;
• Rehabilitation interventions on the hydrographic network of the RAA.