A "major campaign" to raise awareness in schools, training for municipal employees and a conference on water sustainability are three of the actions that Loulé will implement, with the help of the Environmental Fund, until 30 November, to promote efficient use of that resource.
The Algarve municipality saw its candidacy for this Environmental Fund being approved, so it will now receive around 50 thousand euros to put those actions into the field, co-financed by 70%.
The contract was signed this Tuesday, 28 August, between Vítor Aleixo, mayor of Loulé, and Alexandra Carvalho, secretary general of the Ministry of Environment.
In statements to the Sul Informação, the Loulé mayor explained that "promoting the efficient use of water" is the main objective of a set of "five actions".
One of them is, then, the training of municipal employees on the use of water, the other is “a big campaign, in schools, with a huge involvement of children, to design a mascot that raises awareness of this value”.
Children from schools in Almancil and Quarteira will also be able to watch the play “Climat 100” which has already been played in Loulé in 2016. «The entire play revolves around these issues of environmental sustainability and efficient use of water» , explained Vítor Aleixo.
As for awareness-raising actions, they will also be carried out with economic agents. "We want to alert the tourism sector, such as hoteliers, to pass this message on to their customers", said the mayor of Loulé to our newspaper.
It will all end with a conference on water sustainability, the date of which has yet to be set.
Until November 30, all actions have to be developed, but the issue of adaptation to climate change will continue to be worked on in Loulé.
The project financed by the Environmental Fund is part of the options emanating from EMAAC – Municipal Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change.
The increase in temperature and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves and droughts are some of the events and impacts that the Municipality of Loulé will have to deal with during this century, as a result of the climate changes projected for its territory . Given this scenario, it becomes increasingly imperative to implement measures aimed at a rational use of water, a precious resource for the survival of human beings and which is increasingly scarce.
Thus, that Strategy aims to reduce the municipality's current and future vulnerabilities, increase its adaptive capacity in the face of projected extreme events, safeguard its human, natural and material heritage and contribute to raising awareness and empowerment of the population.
To Vítor Aleixo, one of the Portuguese mayors who has had a pioneering role – and more visible – in terms of adaptation to climate change, “this project requires from everyone a change in habits and a transition to new lifestyles, all in favor of the future of our Planet”.
But the work doesn't stop there. «We will present, soon, a program for drought contingencies. By the end of the year, we will also present a plan for energy efficiency and also one of the first programs on how to face the rise in the average level of sea water along the entire coast of the municipality of Loulé», said Vítor Aleixo.
Another of the actions, which has not yet been contracted, but will be prepared, is a Municipal Program for the Efficient Use of Water.
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