Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action celebrates World Wetlands Day - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

The Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action has prepared a series of activities to mark World Wetlands Day, an initiative aimed at raising awareness of the need to protect these areas and highlight their importance for life on our planet. "Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future" is the theme for 2025.

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, recalled the existence of 13 Wetlands in the Azores classified as being of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, given their rarity in the international context, and particularly in the context of the biogeographical region, Macaronesia, corresponding to an area of approximately 13 thousand hectares.

Alonso Miguel explained that "wetlands are of fundamental importance to human populations, given the wide range of services they provide, such as regulating the hydrological cycle, recharging aquifers, controlling floods, retaining nutrients, producing biomass, and also mitigating the climate change effects, specifically when it comes to sequestering carbon from the atmosphere."

The government official recognised the importance of these ecosystems for biological diversity. As such, the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action is carrying out several restoration, preservation and monitoring actions and projects, such as the LIFE Projects, especially the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project. The latter is the largest nature conservation project ever carried out in the Azores, with an allocation of more than 19 million Euros.

"These conservation projects contribute, in an integrated manner, to improving the sustainability of wetlands, through the involvement of various public entities, associations and the general population, in a logic geared towards the conservation and enhancement of nature and ecosystem services. They are fundamental for the well-being and safety of the population and their economic development," he added.

Alonso Miguel recalled that this date also marks National Nature Ranger Day. The Regional Government "highlights their importance in the Region, acknowledging their daily work as the first line of defence for the environment on each island."

The Regional Secretary stressed the important role of Azorean Nature Rangers, highlighting their contribution to nature conservation. According to him, they are "essential for raising public awareness of the balanced and responsible management of natural resources as well as for monitoring, preserving and conserving nature and biodiversity."

Alonso Miguel highlighted the "recent boost in the resources allocated to Nature Rangers, with the hiring of another 12 staff members and the purchase of essential equipment for their work, such as pick-up vehicles, pneumatic boats and machinery, representing an investment of about one million Euros."

"Various training programmes have also been organised and drones have been purchased for each of the nine Environment and Climate Action Services, representing an investment of about 60 thousand Euros, which are at the disposal of Nature Rangers," he said.

Alonso Miguel revealed that the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action is organising various activities for the school community to mark these events on all islands from January 31 to February 7. They intend to raise awareness of the importance of Wetlands in preserving biodiversity and the need for surveillance, inspection and monitoring by Nature Rangers.

The Regional Secretary added that "the planned activities include information sessions, interpretation routes, guided tours to environmental centres, bird watching, endemic species planting, invasive species removal and coastal clean-ups. These activities are expected to involve hundreds of participants."