Government invests 500 million euros in fire prevention and fighting

This Friday, the Minister for Nature and Forests underlined that an investment of about 500 million euros (ME) this year has been made in the municipalities affected by the 2017 fires and at the national level for the prevention and control of them.

“In 2017, investments were 20% in prevention and 80% in combat. Currently, they account for about 50% in each of the directions. The total investment in the two areas more than doubled compared to 2017 (143 million euros), this year the largest investment ever, around 500 million euros,” João Paulo Catarino explained in a note sent to Lusa.

This Friday, together with the mayors of the region, a government official visited works on the restoration of burnt areas, the primary network, the prevention of rural fires and natural restoration in the areas of the municipalities of Figueiro dos Vinhos and Castaneira de Pera, in the district of Leiria and Pampilhosa da Serra ( district of Coimbra) in Pinhala-Interior affected by the 2017 fires.

The Secretary of State noted the main results obtained in the field of fire prevention since 2017, namely the changes made and the approval of the Integrated Rural Fire Management System.

Reportedly, there was “half the number of rural fires, including on worst weather days, a decrease in rural fires in the summer months caused by the use of fire, a significant reduction in fires from more than 500/1000 hectares and a reduction in the area of ​​fires to one third of the historical average values ​​of the area of ​​fires (compared to the average of 2001/2017)”.

With regard to the preventive activities carried out in the interior region of Pinhal, 26 thousand hectares have been involved in fuel management activities, of which 22 thousand hectares of fuel management mosaic and secondary network, 3800 hectares of primary network, 370 hectares of fire fighting activities and extensive burning.

Also, more than 18,000 kilometers of installation/improvement of the forest road network and more than 500 installation/improvement of water intakes were carried out.

In response to the 2017 fires, the government also launched a number of policy measures, including the Landscape Transformation Program (LTP), which targets vulnerable forest areas.

They continue in the hinterland of Pinhala, namely in the seven municipalities affected by the June 2017 fires (Castaneira de Pera, Figueiro dos Vinhos, Gois, Pampilhosa da Serra, Pedrogan Grande, Penela and Serta), as part of the PTP programmatic measures funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

Five Landscape Reorganization and Management Programs (PRGPs) are being prepared.

João Paulo Catarino highlights the creation of seven Integrated Landscape Management Areas (AIGPs) in the municipalities affected by the June 2017 fires, covering more than 16,500 hectares, which in terms of PRR investment is “expected to be 30 million euros”. .

“In all of Pinhal Interior (19 municipalities) there are 38 AIGPs (38% of the total approved AIGPs) covering about 60,000 ha (which is 42% of the total area of ​​approved AIGPs in the country), which, in terms of PRR investment, is expected that it will reach 100 million euros”.

24 applications were also approved for the Condomínio de Aldeias program in seven municipalities in three notifications with completed analyzes totaling €1.644 million for activities in 42 villages.

In the notification, closed in April this year (which is under analysis), nine applications were submitted with proposed investments of around two million euros with intervention proposals in 37 villages.

In all municipalities of the interior of Pinhala, 53 applications worth more than 3.5 million euros were approved to support 102 villages.

In addition to the current investment funded by the PRR, the PTP also highlights the Rural Development Plan (PDR) for 2020 with the approval of 67 applications in seven municipalities with a total investment of 26 million euros and representing public support of more than 11 million euros .