30 million-Euro investment in streams to ensure safety of people and property, says President of the Government
The President of the Government announced today that 30 million Euros have already been invested in the cleaning and maintenance of streams as well as in the prevention of flood risk throughout the Region since 2013 with the aim of safeguarding the safety of people and property.
"All this work has a very simple goal: the safety of people and goods and, for this reason, are investing in the various components" of this area, said Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government visited today the works taking place in Grota da Cancela in the village of Pedreira, municipality of Nordeste, an area hit by the heavy rains of September 2015.
According to him, the result of the investment made in the Region is quite visible as far as 2017 and 2018 were the years when the lowest number of occurrences were recorded since the Reports on the State of Streams in the Azores (RERA) began to be drawn up in 2012.
According to the President of the Government, the Region has a series of tools that are fundamental in this area, such as the Flood Risk Management Plan, the Regional Water Plan and the Report on the State of Streams in the Azores among other measures. They ensure the monitoring of a wide range of streams.
"In 2018, we are talking about more than 620 kilometres of streams and hydrographic basins that have been assessed regarding their situation. In order to have a clear idea, the distance between Santa Maria and Corvo is 600 kilometres," said the President of the Government.
"All these efforts are intended to reach a good balance in terms of territory occupation, but with a risk management plan that maximises the safety of people and property," said Vasco Cordeiro.