NEWS | Alonso Miguel highlights importance of LIFE IP CLIMAZ project for climate adaptation and protection of people and property in the Azores
The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, accompanied the European Commission’s monitoring visit, through CINEA, to the intervention areas covered by the LIFE IP CLIMAZ project on Terceira Island, between January 28 and 30.
Coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, the LIFE IP CLIMAZ Project is a key element in the implementation of the Regional Climate Change Programme, with a budget of about €20 million, including 60% co-financed by the European Union, to be implemented between 2021 and 2030. Its associated beneficiaries include the Regional Directorates for the Environment and Climate Action, Forest Resources and Spatial Planning, Energy and Maritime Policy, the Horta and Vila Franca do Campo Municipal Councils, EDA and the Agricultural Union Cooperative.
During his visit to the streams targeted for intervention on Terceira Island, the Regional Secretary revealed that “the project has already implemented a wide range of actions in Grota das 8, parish of Santa Bárbara, and in the ribeira do Testo and ribeira do Tapete streams, parish of Porto Judeu. They are focused on improving the ecological and hydraulic resilience of watercourses and promoting nature-based solutions to reduce vulnerability to flooding in the context of the climate change adaptation strategy.”
Alonso Miguel explained that the work carried out included the removal and control of invasive species, the planting of endemic plants, the redevelopment of stream beds and banks, and the implementation of preventive land management measures.
“A fence was installed along a 650-metre stretch of the ribeira do Testo stream to prevent cattle access and promote ecological recovery. In turn, the Grota das 8 was fitted with natural engineering infrastructure to stabilise the banks and reduce erosion,” he added.
The government official also revealed that “new interventions are planned on Terceira Island, namely in ribeira da Agualva stream, ribeira de Santo Antão – Casa da Ribeira stream, ribeira de São Bento – Grota dos Carlinhos stream and the ribeira das 12 stream, reinforcing a preventive and integrated approach to sustainable management of water resources.”
Across the archipelago, the LIFE IP CLIMAZ project is working on 18 streams spread across seven islands, with several sections already completed, where around 35,000 endemic specimens have been planted, covering a distance of more than nine kilometres. This represents an integrated effort to increase community resilience, protect people and property, and promote nature-based solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.
The monitoring team also visited the intervention areas of the Native Species Forest Nursery in the parish of São Brás, Praia da Vitória. The technical visits also covered the areas of conversion from pasture to native forest as well as the areas of conversion from existing forest to non-productive native forest, whose implementation is the responsibility of the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources and Spatial Planning, an associated beneficiary of the project.
During the European Commission’s monitoring visit, a series of actions already implemented by the LIFE IP CLIMAZ project between 2021 and 2025 were also highlighted. They encompassed key areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation, namely the improvement of hydrometeorological and natural risk monitoring and the approval of strategic instruments, such as the Azores Flood and Drought Risk Management Plans, as well as the progress of the revision of the Regional Programme for Climate Change,” emphasised Alonso Miguel.
The Regional Secretary also noted that “the project has also boosted mobility and energy efficiency. This has been achieved with the expansion of the electric charging network, the acquisition of electric vehicles and pilot decarbonisation projects, along with relevant interventions in ecological recovery, sustainable agriculture, coastal protection, technical training and public awareness, boosting the resilience of the Autonomous Region of the Azores against climate change impacts.”
Alonso Miguel highlighted the project’s commitment to sustainable mobility, with the recent acquisition of nine electric pick-up vehicles to reinforce the operational fleet of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action and support the implementation of actions in the field, while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the operational activity of this public body.
According to the government official, this is “an investment of over €730,000, carried out as part of a pilot project to promote the decarbonisation of regional public administration transport. The project is integrated and co-financed by the LIFE IP CLIMAZ Project, in an unprecedented move to provide electric vehicles of this kind to the Environment and Climate Action Services of the nine islands. It is also another important step in the decarbonisation of the regional vehicle fleet, with sustainable technological solutions capable of responding to high operational demands.”
The Regional Secretary also emphasised the strategic importance of LIFE IP CLIMAZ in the context of the ongoing revision of the Azores Regional Climate Change Plan, noting that “the experience and results achieved in the field are decisively contributing to the improvement of regional public policies on climate adaptation and mitigation.”
Alonso Miguel concluded by highlighting that “the European Commission’s monitoring visit highlighted the progress achieved, the solid technical implementation of the actions and the alignment of the project with regional, national and European strategic climate goals. As such, these efforts have strengthened technical and institutional capabilities, preparing the Region for a more effective response to climate change impacts.”
GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU
