The Eira-da-Zorra Degraded Area Reforestation Project (PRADE), which focuses on the area that burned in great fire of 2021, in Castro Marim, will be presented to the public by GuadiMonte Agricultural Cooperative, on the 30th of March, at the former primary school in Alta Mora, at 14 pm.
In partnership with the Municipality of Castro Marim, the University of the Algarve and CONFAGRI (National Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives) and Crédito Agrícola de Portugal, «the PRADE project has the main objective of combating desertification, namely through the implementation of a of reforestation in the area burned in the Castro Marim fire of 2021, with native species that grow slowly, are resilient and tolerant of dry environments, such as carob trees, strawberry trees, cork oaks and holm oaks», according to the Castromarinense Chamber.
«There are 34 hectares of intervention area, which also includes the recovery of tree species that survived the fire, namely those that are part of the traditional dryland orchard in the Algarve, and the improvement of the network of rural paths», he adds.
To accompany the entire process on the ground, «in a project that should be developed by the beginning of next year, a Local Technical Office will be created to support the development of actions and projects to combat desertification, based on the requalification of the old primary school from the town of Corte Pequena».
PRADE represents a total investment of around 896 thousand euros (eligible investment of 810 thousand euros) being funded by the COMPETE 2020 Programme, under Notice 13/REACT/2021, supported by Portugal and the European Union, co-financed 100% by the ERDF .
«The interior territory of the Baixo Guadiana is considered one of the most sensitive areas in Europe, classified by the United Nations as being at risk of desertification. But the interior of the Algarve is also struggling with depopulation and the interesting thing about the appearance of Cooperativa GuadiMonte is also due to the fact that the founding cooperators have a connection to the land, being, for the most part, people who returned to invest in what is the legacy of their families", states the Chamber of Castro Marim.
Comments