A morning focused on water led more than 500 students from the schools of the Dr.ª Laura Ayres and D. Dinis Groups to march through Quarteira, from the teaching establishments to Praça do Mar.
“Water is life” was the phrase that echoed through the streets of this city on World Water Day, which was celebrated this Tuesday, March 22nd, during which the entire school community of Quarteira joined the Specialized Commission for Communication and APDA Environmental Education, under the national coordination of Teresa Fernandes, together with Águas do Algarve, Loulé City Council and the Parish Council.
«In addition to making the entire school community aware of the importance of water, this initiative is also aimed at everyone who can now attend the activities prepared by our students», explained teacher Maria Varela to Sul Informação.
Enthusiastically, children and young people displayed their alert posters with phrases such as “every drop counts”, “water is a precious commodity” or “take care of the planet”.
Upon arrival at Praça do Mar, next to the Calçadão de Quarteira, the schools were faced with dozens of locals and tourists who were already waiting for them and who took the opportunity to see the presentations that ranged from music to poetry: always focused on water.
For Valentim, in the 5th grade, this activity proved to be «very important». «We learned that we have to save water because it is worth more than gold and silver», he said, stressing that at home he already develops many of the initiatives he learned at school to save.
For the Parish Council of Quarteira, which supported this initiative, «it is essential that this type of project involves the whole community».
At a time when the Algarve has a huge water deficit, Telmo Pinto says that «involving children is essential because they are the future and also because they pass the message to the elderly».
In addition, the President of the Board stressed that «it is very gratifying to see the work done by the schools in this regard».
«At a time when so much is said about the value of teachers' work, it is important that everyone understands the daily work they do with our children, preparing them to be better citizens», he said.
Ao Sul Informação, Telmo Pinto also wanted to leave an appeal for the regional entities and the Government «to decide whether or not they want to supervise the amount of illegal plantations that grow in the Algarve and that consume most of the water».
«Starting to listen to mayors because of the proximity they have is essential. The work and struggle for water involves everyone, this percentage is so large that a small step is enough for a lot of things to change », he concluded.
Before the presentations given by the students, the teachers responsible for the project also left a challenge to the community: that of, between 22:00 and 23:00 yesterday, to be part of the H2Off, turning off the taps in this time interval.
«In 10 minutes, our city of Quarteira consumes 42 thousand liters of water and in August it goes to 92», warned Professor Aníbal Soutinho, stressing that «we really have to think and rethink how to use water in a sustainable way».
Photos: Mariana Sedge | Sul Informação
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