PAN wants to use PRR to adapt cities to the effects of climate change

This Saturday, a PAN spokesperson said that funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) should be channeled into adapting the country to the effects of climate change, as well as betting on “small works” and “renaturalization of cities”.

Inés Sousa Real visited the districts of Alcantara (Lisbon) and Alges (Oeiras) this Saturday to learn about the damage caused by the floods of recent weeks, accompanied by members of the Lisbon District Commission of the PAN and municipal representatives of the party in the capital and in Oeiras.

In an interview with Lusa, assessing the visit, the MP and PAN spokesman stressed that “the extent of the damage is a cause for concern” both in terms of trade, housing and infrastructure.

“The need for work is clear in terms of basic sanitation and rainwater drainage, but thought on an inter-municipal scale,” he defended.

On the other hand, Inés Souza Real emphasized the importance of adapting the country’s cities to the effects of climate change, which will lead to an increase in extreme events.

“PAN fought for the importance of directing PRR funds to the adaptation of the country and the most affected cities. If we do not use these European funds for urban adaptation, we will continue to oppose this prevention must be carried out now, not when climate events knock on our door,” he stressed.

The MP also considered it “necessary” to move forward with the drainage plan in Lisbon, but urged not to neglect “small works” until it was completed.

As examples, he cited the protection of the external facades of buildings and the closure of critical areas such as tunnels in the event of weather conditions, insisting on the maintenance and connection of both the sewer network and the storm sewer network.

“If not, water enters from both outside and inside through the sewer network and destroys everything inside shops and homes,” he said.

In addition to the legislative initiatives that PAN has already submitted to Parliament, the MP said that recommendations will be presented at the municipal level, which will also include the importance of “renaturalization of cities”.

“Concrete and asphalt cannot prevail in our country. If we want to fight the effects of climate change, we cannot forget that spatial planning plays a role, climate change cannot be left behind,” he said, warning that “concreting cities” is jeopardizing the ability of cities to pass and divert water.

The MP noted that Presidents Alcantara and Alges were present at the PAN initiative this Saturday and said that she had already spoken to the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, to whom she handed over the diplomas already presented by the party in Parliament.

This week, PAN introduced a bill that establishes an exceptional regime so that flood-damaged municipal expenses are not counted against debt limits.

The party also submitted resolutions to the Assembly of the Republic in which it recommends that the government approve measures to support the municipalities affected by the floods that occurred in December 2022, declaring the situation a natural disaster, and ensure, together with the European Commission, the intervention of the European Union Solidarity Fund.