"The Government must urgently determine the constitution of a multidisciplinary technical group to address the [drought] issue and formulate a solution in a short space of time," said Rogério Bacalhau today, at the opening session of the event organized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body that brings together 260 world experts on climate change.
The mayor of Faro, host city of meeting that brings together experts from 60 countries around the world, began by saying that «if there is a region that is already changing as a result of climate change, this is the Algarve».
The mayor referred to the issues of "coastal erosion", the "rising of the average sea level", which "are so evident that they threaten the territory and put at risk the subsistence of our way of life".
On the other hand, "public authorities are already experiencing difficulties in maintaining water supplies to the entire population", even because "the level of our reserves is not sufficient for human consumption for just one year" and there are already "populations to be filled with auto-tanks».
“If the dry winters continue, the region will soon reveal a scenario of poverty, desert and desolation”, he added, stressing: “this is not a scientific finding. It is a fact for all to see».
The mayor of Faro he recalled that "today, also in Portugal, almost everyone has adopted the discourse of controlling global warming, that it is necessary to decarbonise and that there are ambitious goals to be met."
But, he warned, “the fact that we enumerate this concern over and over again cannot lead people to think that we are effectively fighting climate change or preparing for it. Because we're not there – and the Algarve is already feeling it”.
Solutions, said Rogério Bacalhau, even exist, but "all have obstacles: either they are expensive, or they are environmentally incorrect."
Classifying the problem as "very serious", the mayor argued that "it is now necessary for the State to encourage the implementation of more comprehensive renewable energy systems", as well as to adopt "more correct practices from an environmental point of view".
It is still necessary to «strengthen the note in the effort of pedagogy among citizens, particularly those of a younger age», but «also to have more and better public transport… and less polluting. It is necessary to solve the serious problem of an archaic Railway, if there is still a solution for it». Finally, he urged, "it is necessary to tighten the mesh of environmental requirements in the State's licensing."
“There are solutions! And that those who have the knowledge to do so should speak out about them, that decisions are taken and we, mayors, will be here to help implement them», he concluded.
Comments