Regional Government delivered equipment for maintenance and cleaning of public spaces as part of "Eco-Parish" programme

Dec. 21, 2023

The Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change has awarded 138 pieces of equipment for the cleaning and maintenance of public spaces, as part of the "Eco-Parish" programme, on all the islands of the Azores.

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change, Alonso Miguel, presided over the delivery ceremony of equipment to the awarded parish councils.

On the occasion, Alonso Miguel stressed that "as part of this initiative, 71 electric chainsaws, 50 hedge trimmers and 17 brushcutters were delivered, according to their respective needs, to the Corvo Town Council and to the 137 parish councils that joined this edition of the "Eco-Parish" programme: 56 parish councils in São Miguel, 28 in Terceira, 16 in Pico, 13 in Faial, 10 in São Jorge, six in Flores, four in Santa Maria and four in Graciosa, representing an overall investment of about 90 thousand Euros."

According to the Regional Secretary, "the programme is a fundamental cooperation tool between the Regional Government and the parish councils of the Region. It aims to acknowledge and distinguish the efforts of these entities, promote the collaboration of the population in the cleaning, removal and proper disposal of abandoned waste found in their territories, including waterways and the coastline, as well as to encourage their participation in awareness-raising and environmental education activities."

"Clean public spaces and free-flowing streams, combined with good environmental practices on the part of the population, are fundamental aspects for reducing the risk of floods, landslides and other hazards. This contributes to safeguarding the population and avoiding huge material and financial losses, something that is extremely important on islands like ours, which are subject to increased vulnerability to the effects of climate change," he noted.

According to Alonso Miguel, "the collaboration and work carried out by parish councils is vital in this area, particularly when it comes to cleaning up streams. This is an extremely demanding task in a region like the Azores, where the hydrographic network is more than seven thousand kilometres long and there are more than 700 hydrographic basins."

The government official stated that "the allocation of this equipment represents an important contribution, providing institutions with suitable equipment for the cleaning and maintenance of public spaces, as part of the collaboration with the Regional Government. They will be better prepared to meet the strategic challenges set out to ensure the development of the Azores and the well-being of the populations, namely the proper management of waste, the promotion of environmental quality and the protection of natural resources."