Alonso Miguel reaffirms commitment to continue promoting “sustainable development” of the Azores

May 24, 2024

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, emphasised today that he wants the 2024 Plan and Budget proposals to continue promoting the “sustainable development” of the Azores, preserving the region's “extraordinary natural heritage”, and “mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change.”

In addition, Alonso Miguel also prioritises “the mission of guaranteeing the protection of people and property, minimising the natural risks to which the Azoreans are subject, and investing in strengthening the region's civil protection and rescue system”.

“We want to continue to build a region that recognises and values the environment and nature as strategic and fundamental assets for establishing a path of progress and social and economic development, creating the necessary conditions for the preservation and transmission of this unique heritage to our young people and the next generations,” he said.

He was speaking at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, in the city of Horta, on the second day of discussing the proposals for the Medium-term Guidelines 2024-2028 and the Plan and Budget for 2024.

The Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action's Investment Plan for 2024 totals 31.8 million euros, of which 19.6 million will be invested in the environmental field, which represents an increase of 4.2 % compared to 2023.

“Climate action, which is vital for our livelihoods, safety and well-being, continues to be one of the government's priorities, with investment totalling more than 2.1 million euros under the LIFE IP CLIMAZ project, to implement the Regional Climate Change Plan, as well as a 20 % increase in the amount earmarked for the Legal-Financial Regime to Support Climate Emergencies compared to 2023,” said Alonso Miguel.

The Regional Secretary also emphasised the launch of an “unprecedented project” that will “equip the Secretariat's operational services” with “their own means and equipment to ensure adequate intervention in the hydrographic network” of the islands, “as well as the start of the installation of the Atlantic Climate Observatory in the Azores, in collaboration with the IPMA, further reinforcing the importance of the Azores' geostrategic position”.

He continued: “Within the framework of promoting environmental quality, we will promote a substantial increase in the funds allocated to the Eco-parish Programme, with a planned allocation of one million euros, which is the largest investment ever in this programme and will make a fundamental contribution to properly empowering our parish councils to clean and maintain clean public spaces. The project to implement the Deposit system for non-reusable beverage packaging in the Azores will continue, and the modernisation of the recycling processes at the Region's Waste Processing Centres will begin, with a total planned investment of around 2.9 million euros, to be carried out by the end of 2025.”

In the field of nature conservation, the investments planned for the implementation of the four LIFE projects underway in the Region stand out, with a total allocation of around 3.2 million euros planned for 2024, as well as the investment of two million euros for incentives to maintain traditional vine-growing landscapes and orchards of traditional species.

"An investment of more than 1.6 million euros is also planned for the regional network of environmental centres, as well as an allocation of around 540 thousand euros for the management of the Island Nature Parks, which will make it possible to reinforce interventions on the hiking trails for which this Regional Secretariat is responsible. In the field of water resources and the hydrographic network, a large investment of around 2.3 million euros is planned, which will make it possible to reinforce the monitoring, maintenance and requalification of the region's hydrographic network, the hydrological cycle monitoring network and the implementation of water resource planning instruments," continued Alonso Miguel.

With regard to investments in public works, a sum of around 2.6 million euros is expected to be spent, with the highlights being the completion of work on the Porto Pim infrastructure complex on Faial, the start of construction on the new Algar do Carvão Interpretation Centre on Terceira island and the upgrading of the road access to Furna do Enxofre on Graciosa.

In terms of Civil Protection, he said that the investment plan for the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service totalled 12.2 million euros in 2024, an increase of 13.2% compared to 2023.

He explained: “In this context, we will continue to focus on enhancing the activity of firefighters and improving the functioning of humanitarian associations in various areas, starting with training and equipping our firefighters with individual and collective equipment. As part of the renewal of the fire brigades' vehicle fleets, the purchase of nine red vehicles and one multi-victim trailer has already been awarded, for a total investment of 3.4 million euros, of which 1.4 million will be executed in 2024, with four of these vehicles due to arrive in the region, the first of which, a heavy-duty tanker, has already been delivered to the Humanitarian Association of the Volunteer Fire Brigade of Graciosa Island. Later this year, we intend to launch new tenders to acquire five more red vehicles and nine rescue ambulances, with the expected delivery of three of these ambulances later this year.”

This investment plan, concluded Alonso Miguel, “materialises the commitment of the XIV Regional Government of the Azores to continue to create an attractive region with a future, one that is distinguished by its high natural values, that generates opportunities, that promotes the settlement” of young people “and that fosters the improvement of living conditions, stability, well-being and security" for Azorean families.