For now, ten Water Resources Use Titles have been awarded to inhabitants and associations of the fishing nucleus of Culatra, on the barrier island of Ria Formosa with the same name. Soon, the villagers await, the licenses for the remaining 1st residential buildings and for collective use will come.
Today, Friday, was «a historic day for Culatra», believes Sílvia Padinha, from the Association of Residents of Ilha da Culatra (AMIC). For more than a century and a half after the estimated beginning of the permanent human occupation of the island, descendants of these men and women have finally gained an official role that tells them that they can have their homes in this village. And although everything works with long-term licenses, 30 years, these are renewable, as long as the houses are destined to the current occupants and, under certain conditions, to their children.
"It is a right that is recognized to us, to a population that has occupied more than 150 years of a space that belongs to everyone, but it is also ours and that we take care of with all the affection," said the AMIC leader to journalists, today, on Culatra Island.
“What this solves is the question of the right to housing. It is the recognition that the people who live here are part of the environment, when before they were treated as intruders. For us, this is a giant step», he reinforced.
For now, Titles for the Use of Water Resources have been delivered to eight inhabitants and to two entities, the Culatrense club, which has had its headquarters legalized, and the Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes association, which is finally in possession of the title of the building in the center of day, which has long complained – and needs it.
The licenses were handed over during a ceremony that took place at Culatra and that brought together the ministers of Environment and the Sea, João Matos Fernandes and Ana Paula Vitorino, respectively. Government members were on this barrier island to visit the public space improvement works carried out under the Intervention and Requalification Project (PIR) of Ilha da Culatra, but above all to watch the delivery of the first titles.
«These dwellings, existing for a long time – despite being in Public Maritime Domain – had no title. What we did was, for consolidated clusters that have very relevant socioeconomic activity, to legalize the houses», explained João Matos Fernandes.
This was possible thanks to «a decision taken by the Government, which amended the Water Law. We want traditional activities to be maintained in protected areas. And for this to be possible, people who carry out traditional activities will have to settle here, with conditions of dignity in the housing.
This is where the Water Resources Use Certificates come in, ten of which have already been delivered. But there are many more on the way, guaranteed the Minister of Environment.
“We received 350 orders, 190 of which were dispatched favorably. We are still evaluating the others, because there are many and the administration always takes some time to do it. Today we are going to give the first titles, ending a precarious situation that worried many people», said João Matos Fernandes.
"This was a commitment of mine as a minister that, with great honor, I come here today," he added.
As regards contract of 1,5 million euros that was carried out by the Polis Ria Formosa Society in Ilha da Culatra «it was the arrangement of the public space of a consolidated urban space». In addition to the consolidation and improvement of the main walkway, other spaces were repaired, such as the church surroundings and the river front, as well as the creation of a new square in the area of AMIC's headquarters, with shading and a children's playground.
Sílvia Padinha does not hide her satisfaction at seeing some old dreams come true for the population of Culatra, of which she has been the spokesperson for years. Still, until there is a final decision on all requests, we must remain vigilant.
“So far, we have no indication that none has failed. The orders are still under analysis. Today the first titles were delivered here. But we are following the process step by step and we want justice to be done and that all those who are able to receive the title can receive it». said the AMIC leader.
The residents' association was, as in other cases, the right arm of the population of Culatre in the entire process. «No one was left out, everyone submitted their requests. Applications were made in April, with the collaboration of the association, as it was through an electronic platform and some people have difficulties. But all managed to make the applications within the deadline».
As for the titles currently attributed, Sílvia Padinha highlights what was given to the day center of the Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes association. “Nowadays, the big disease, besides cancer, is Alzheimer's. And we have already had to send about a dozen elderly people to a home in Olhão, because we are not able to take care of them here», he said.
With the attribution of the title, it will be possible to proceed to the expansion of the existing building, in order to create a homelike valence. “We have a project, but we couldn't move forward due to lack of license. Now we have the title and we can move on to the co-financing application and the work itself. We estimate that around 500 thousand euros are needed», explained Sílvia Padinha
Also the energy transition that the community of Ilha da Culatra intends to carry out, with the help of the University of Algarve and the support of various entities, was focused on by the members of the Government present and by Sílvia Padinha herself.
«By 2030 we have a mission to transform Culatra into a sustainable island, in what will be an example of Energy Transition that can be followed by others. The population is with open arms to receive knowledge, since, above all, we have to know how this transition is made, the habits we have to change and what we have to do», said the resident of Culatra.
«Let's start with the school, in order to make it autonomous, in terms of energy. Then, in residential houses, and since we will have to remove the asbestos tiles, replace them with photovoltaic tiles,” he added.
Culatrenses do not want to be left alone and are asking for legislation “to allow those who have the possibility to make the transition more quickly to help those who cannot. It is about working in a network and distributing the energy captured from a natural source by everyone. It is a sharing, which makes perfect sense here».
As can be seen, despite the fact that today a cycle has started to close in the fishing nucleus of Culatra, that of precarious housing, other challenges arise, in this case with a much more positive charge, linked to energy self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability.
Photos: Rodrigo Damasceno |Sul Informação
Comments