The Chamber of Olhão will receive 1 million euros for the requalification works of the Patrão Joaquim Lopes and Pescador Olhanense gardens, as part of the requalification of the Zona Ribeirinha.
Olhão was one of the four municipalities nationwide to be covered with a slice of funding from the Environmental Fund for “Adaptation to Climate Change – Water Resources” and the financing contract was signed this Friday morning, 7 September, in Vila Real, with the presence of the Minister of Environment João Matos Fernandes.
According to the tutelage, a total investment of five million euros is planned in the municipalities of Olhão, Porto, São Pedro do Sul and Vila Real, representing a contribution of 3,3 million euros from the Environmental Fund.
This funding will allow, according to the ministry, the execution of four projects «flagships of adaptation to climate change in the area of water resources, including the reduction of vulnerabilities to flood risks in the interface with urban areas».
The project from Olhano to requalify the green areas of the riverfront, whose intervention will have a total value of 1,4 million euros, obtained funding of 1 million from the Environmental Fund for adaptation to climate change. The remaining 400 thousand euros will be borne by the Municipality.
The urban and environmental redevelopment project of the Patrão Joaquim Lopes and Pescador Olhanense gardens is part of the planned measures, with regard to the «valuing of water resources and the implementation of green spaces in urban areas suitable for soil and climate conditions and the impacts of climate change, namely in terms of irrigation practices and the use of plant species with lower water requirements, which may also function as retention basins and as a contribution to protection from the effects of heat waves».
This project is also part of the measure of «implementing solutions for the use of treated wastewater and rainwater and improving the efficiency of water consumption in urban spaces (including irrigation and maintenance of outdoor spaces) particularly in regions subject to recurrent periods of water shortage".
In practice, the renovation of the gardens requires that all the plants used are adapted to the conditions of the Algarve's soil and climate, with lower water requirements.
«Also the existing irrigation network, which is deteriorated, will be completely replaced, putting an end to water losses. In addition, the irrigation of the gardens will be done using treated wastewater from the WWTP Faro-Olhão, thus reducing the consumption of drinking water», explains the City Council of Olhão.
The installation of LED lighting, the increase in arboreal vegetation and shaded areas and the increase in permeable areas, promoting the infiltration of water into the soil, are some of the measures included in the project that made the Oyenne bid to be one of the four included. a Nacional level.
«The Municipality of Olhão is, once again, a pioneer in terms of the adoption of environmental measures, which safeguard not only the present, but also the future. As such, it is with great pride that I signed this financing contract today, which will make the riverside area of our city a national example in terms of environmental protection and mitigation of the effects of climate change, which are a reality to which we are particularly concerned. susceptible in the territory of the Algarve», underlined António Pina, mayor of Olhão, at the ceremony of signing the contracts.
The mayor highlights the receptivity shown by the minister of the Environment who, "once again, showed openness to our arguments and proved to be a sensitive interlocutor to the fundamentals we presented during the negotiation of our candidacy."
The renovation works of the Patrão Joaquim Lopes and Pescador Olhanense Gardens begin in October 2019.
The 1st phase of the rehabilitation of the riverfront, which includes Avenida 5 de Outubro, the sidewalks and pedestrian areas, is already in progress next month.
«The common denominator of this intervention is the evocation of the Ria, the sea and the traditions of Olhão and the preservation of memory and iconic spaces, creating a homogeneous area, where gardens, markets, Avenida 5 de Outubro and commercial establishments will form an integrated whole , eliminating the architectural and visual barriers that currently exist and creating a tourist area par excellence, as well as a space for everyone to enjoy, “friendly” to the environment and minimizing the effects of climate change», concludes the municipality.
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