Bad weather: MAI asks Civil Protection to assess the causes of damage for Portugal to be more resilient – Economy
The Minister of Internal Administration this Sunday asked the Civil Protection systems to assess the causes of the damage caused by bad weather in Portugal, so that the territory is more resilient, highlighting the problem of soil sealing.
Speaking to journalists in Barcelos, Braga district, regarding the floods that were felt to have caused material damage in the last few hours, José Luís Carneiro defended that the Civil Protection systems should investigate the causes that justify these, the attention to the problem of waterproofing soils, the result of construction, but also to the climate changes that are being felt all over Europe with increasing frequency.
“Civil Protection systems must carry out this assessment of the causes that may justify these circumstances, bearing in mind that the Territorial Planning Plans, the Municipal Civil Protection Plans, develop the necessary work to prepare these territories for greater resilience. That is why today the European Union is making financial means available so that European territories can prepare for these changes [climáticas] and for the purposes of these amendments”, he declared.
The Minister of Internal Administration drew attention to the problem of soil sealing and the consequences they have on the normal water cycle.
“Reality has changed. Urbanization, the concentration of people in cities (…). Naturally, greater construction means waterproofing of the soil. Because if the soil is waterproofed, the water does not go through its normal cycle, which is that of its regular, time-consuming infiltration, through the vegetation itself, which helps in this infiltration in the water tables and maintaining the regular cycles of the water”, he maintained.
Questioned by journalists about whether there were flaws from the point of view of land use planning, the minister reiterated that it is “very important” that municipal Civil Protection systems seek to determine the causes of what were extraordinary phenomena related to the conduction of water in large cities, but also in rural areas, as one of the effects of lands that absorb this large amount of water is landslides.
“In the big cities, they have to do with the damage and the movement of water that are immense and that have immense benefits”, he said.
The northern and central areas of mainland Portugal are today under orange warning due to periods of heavy rain and maritime motivation, informed the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
The orange warning was in effect between 06:00 and 12:00, when periods of rain, sometimes heavy, were expected, especially in mountainous regions.
The districts of Porto, Viana do Castelo, Aveiro and Braga are also under orange warning due to maritime reasons, forecasting waves from the northwest, with five to six metres, possibly reaching 11 metres, in the period between 03:00 and like 21:00.