The President of the Government opened today the redevelopment works on the shores of Sete Cidades Crater Lake. This is a four million Euro investment that falls within the strategies to prevent the eutrophication of this lake as well as to use endogenous resources for employment creation and wealth generation in the Azores.

"This investment is part of the strategy to transform our potential at various levels in the creation of jobs and generation of wealth," said Vasco Cordeiro. The government official spoke at the opening ceremony of the works projected by architects Eduardo Souto Moura and Adriano Pimenta. The event also marked the World Children’s Day.

According to him, one of the purposes for the redevelopment of this space was the creation of conditions to stimulate the economy of Sete Cidades village and the Region in general, especially in the tourism sector.

"This goal is pursued with the granting of these tourism infrastructures to private initiative, which has created five new jobs," added Vasco Cordeiro.
This work is also part of the actions to prevent the eutrophication of lakes, which included the construction of a retention dam and the partial diversion of the flow of Sete Cidades Ditch, through the discharge tunnel of the Blue Lake, mentioned the President of the Government. According to him, the Government remains committed to safeguarding and preserving lakes.

In his speech, the President of the Government stressed that the redevelopment project of Sete Cidades Lake shores took into consideration the planning of these spaces in terms of tourist activities, since several interventions were carried out to create parking areas and support structures for leisure activities.

"These infrastructures will allow visitors to enjoy these spaced in an orderly manner, thus ensuring the preservation of one of the most important environmental, tourist and landscape symbols of the Azores," said the President of the Government.

As it is located in the area of São Miguel Island Natural Park, the Government also created a visitor support space - "Casa do Parque" (Park House). It reinforces the regional network of Environmental Centres, which registered a growth of 40 percent in the number of visitants between 2012 and 2013.

According to Vasco Cordeiro, these environmental centres fall within the Government's strategy for environmental awareness raising, taking into account that the environmental richness of the Region is "not limited to the current generation, but rather to a heritage that must be preserved the best way possible to pass it on the future generations."

In this context, the Government has developed the "School Park" Programme, an initiative that annually covers a total of 19 thousand students across the archipelago. It provides Azorean schools with contents related to environmental awareness raising actions and promotes several educational activities targeted at students, including visits to regional Environmental Awareness Raising Centres and Protected Areas.

The "Open Park" programme is currently ongoing. This initiative congregates all the activities promoted within the Island Natural Parks. These activities are organised by Parks' teams or by its partners, and are disseminated through an electronic platform.