Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 25^th October 2023

Good morning, I would like to start by thanking KissFm radio, particular Owen Gee the host of Solid Gold Sunday, for giving me 7 minutes air time last Sunday to cover the approach of Depression Bernhard.

The timing was important as it enabled us to provide valuable information and advice on action to take in the period leading up to the storms arrival and once it started affecting communities. The topics covered were: avoiding parking your car under trees, securing or taking indoors out door items that could be damaged during the storm, action if caught in floods in your car and various ways to protect ones property.

I hope this message got across to as many people as possible, given that the storm lived up to forecasts with the red rainstorm warning being issued, albeit at the last minute, for the Algarve, with over 170 occurrences, a large number of fallen trees some damaging cars and flooding particularly in Loule and Faro. Winds reached over 100 km/h and rainfall exceeded 80 mm in several places just what had been forecast. It was bad enough in the Algarve, but over the border in Spain the situation was far worse.

Despite all these warnings and advice from both the ANEPC and IPMA, it did not stop a trail of events taking place in Monchique, with photos being published on social media showing a runner in an area where there was clearly heavy rain and very strong winds – judged from the video. I really question with the severe weather conditions about to take place illustrated by the damage actually caused, the event was not postponed, to avoid the risk to participants.

There will certainly be more storms of this nature over the winter period and we ask people to follow the advice of the authorities and organisations planning outdoor activities including sports events to act responsibly – after all it is in everyone’s interest to do so and avoid the emergency services having to place themselves in danger in rescuing people, in situations that could have been avoided.

A reminder that this years A Terra Treme National Earthquake Awareness Exercise, Organised by the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority will take place this year on Tuesday 14th November 2023 at 11.14 Hrs. Safe Communities Portugal has supported this exercise each year in a number of ways and will do so again this year. This initiative is part of the activities that form part of the National Strategy for Preventive Civil Protection and aims to empower the population to know how to act before, during and after an earthquake, sensitizing citizens to the fact of living in a risk society, and challenging themselves to get involved in the process of building safer and more resilient communities.

We encourage everyone to get involved by taking part in this short exercise which takes just one minute to perform by registering your details here. https://www.aterratreme.pt/

We wish you all a Safe week ahead

News

Environmentalists ask President of Republic to enforce the Basic Climate Law

Lisbon, 24 Oct 2023 (Lusa) – A group of environmental associations today asked the President of the Portuguese Republic to enforce the Climate Basic Law, approved at the end of 2021, but still without any article respected.

The “inaction of the Portuguese State is especially reprehensible at a time of evident worsening climate urgency”, warn the 13 environmental associations in a letter to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, to which the Lusa agency had access.

“The Climate Base Law constitutes several positive obligations in the legal sphere of the State, compliance with which is absolutely fundamental to the success of climate action in Portugal”, consider environmentalists, who accuse the State of not complying with legislation that it itself approved.

At issue is the delay in publishing several measures, which should have been completed by February 2023, such as the “creation of carbon budgets, which should guide national politics and economy”, the “creation of the Climate Action Portal”, a “Climate Impact Assessment Report of Current Legislation”, an analysis of public assets, the “climate risk of financial assets” or the “revision of the legal regime for hydrocarbons”, among other issues.

“To date, none of these instruments have been created, which places the Portuguese State in effective non-compliance with the execution duties resulting from the Basic Law”, warn the environmentalists.

The absence of sectoral plans to apply the basic law is another criticism made by the associations, which ask the President for “intervention with the Government and the Assembly of the Republic” on this topic.

“The lack of implementation of the Climate Base Law constitutes not only a failure of the Rule of Law and representative democracy, but also a violation of the fundamental rights of Portuguese citizens”, can be read in the letter addressed to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

The letter is signed by the Last Resort Association; Citizen Academy; Environment in Uraniferous Zones (AZU); Santa Iria da Azóia Heritage, Environmental and Cultural Defence Association (ADPAC); Dunas Livres Association; Climate Centre; Extinction Rebellion; PELO TEJO Movement (Protejo); Anti-Transportation of Live Animals Platform (PATAV); Quercus (National Association for Nature Conservation); Network for Degrowth; Association of Marine Sciences and Cooperation (SCIAENA)) and SOS Racismo Porto.

World “in the wrong direction” to stop deforestation: global loss of forest area increases in 2022

The annual “Assessment of the Declaration on Forests” report says that global deforestation increased by 4% in 2022 and that the world is not on track to meet the commitment outlined for 2030.

Non-governmental organizations and researchers warned this Tuesday in a report that the world is not fulfilling its promise to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, as the global loss of forest area increased in 2022.

Leaders from more than 100 countries and territories, which represent the vast majority of the world’s forests, committed, in 2021, to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030.

But the annual “Assessment of the Declaration on Forests” report revealed that global deforestation increased by 4% last year and that the world is not on track to meet the commitment outlined.

“The goal for 2030 does not exist just to look good. It is essential to maintain a livable climate for humanity,” highlighted Erin Matson, one of the document’s main authors.

Forests are essential habitats for animal life, important regulators of the global climate by absorbing carbon emissions from human activities.

Last year, deforestation was more than 20% higher than it should have been to fulfill the commitment made by leaders. Around 6.6 million hectares of forest were lost, most of which was primary forest in tropical regions.

The assessment, led by more than twenty environmental organizations and research bodies, also warns that forest degradation continues to be a serious problem.

The term degradation refers to a wide range of damages, including forest fires and loss of biodiversity, that affect the overall condition of a forest.