Berta Cabral praises cooperation between Azores and Canary Islands under PRISMAC - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures the "decisive and fruitful cooperation between the archipelagos of the Azores and the Canary Islands under PRISMAC, part of the MAC 2021-2027 territorial cooperation programme."

Berta Cabral spoke at the Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory (LREC) auditorium during the public presentation of the PRISMAC project on Tuesday in Ponta Delgada.

For the government official, "the mobility of people and goods in both archipelagos is one of the most complex tasks we have to face daily."

"In the Azores, as in the Canary Islands, we are dealing with the permanent challenge of ensuring accessibility, securing connections, promoting territorial cohesion and protecting the population in the face of significant natural hazards," she said.

"Extreme phenomena are increasingly frequent and jeopardise the integrity of infrastructures essential to everyday life. For this reason, in-depth and sustained reflection is needed on the planning, construction or maintenance and resilience of public infrastructures," she emphasised.

According to Berta Cabral, this reflection "cannot be carried out in isolation or on the sidelines of the member states and the European Union. It requires funding, collaboration, sharing of experiences, knowledge transfer and, above all, highly rigorous scientific intervention."

Firstly, "science has become a critical element of growth and competitiveness, with an undeniable geopolitical reach. Secondly, knowing the risks is insufficient: they must be converted into operational solutions, specific plans and effective management tools."

In this regard, she defended the need to work to "improve knowledge, create and strengthen monitoring systems, invest in structural prevention and promote adaptation-based approach in our communities."

She stated that PRISMAC represents precisely the commitment to "combining scientific knowledge with an understanding of the territory, promoting community literacy and providing responsible political decision-making under the European principle of subsidiarity."

"Analysing vulnerabilities, studying risk scenarios and proposing innovative solutions are tangible steps towards a safer and better-prepared Region," explained the government official. She advocated the 
need to strengthen cooperation ties with the Canary Islands to "promote the sharing of good practices, foster joint innovation and boost the international projection of Macaronesia as a region of knowledge, resilience and sustainability."

According to the Regional Secretary, PRISMAC provides guidelines and conditions for this endeavour and produces a rationale for sustaining the differences as European Union regions. 

"We must be attentive and follow developments on the European Union's new partnership agreement and subsequent post-2027 multiannual financial framework to ensure that the cohesion policy continues to play a key role in the development of Europe and its outermost regions," she stressed.

In this context, she defended "greater flexibility in the use of funds, providing a more effective response to the specific needs of each region and greater focus not only on construction but also on infrastructure maintenance. This should take into account climate change and the increasingly frequent occurrence of extreme natural phenomena, which are fundamental aspects that must be established, preferably together."

Regarding the case studies shared today, such as the embankments in general and the situation involving the access to the parish of Ribeira Quente and the town of Povoação, on São Miguel Island, she considered that they showed this reality and evidenced the path we intend to follow. 

Berta Cabral also stated that the Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Infrastructures, "renews its commitment to continue working side by side with the Government of the Canary Islands, the scientific community, our municipalities and civil society, so that what started here will not end but multiply."

"We are certain that the path we want to follow is one of determination, collective intelligence and deep respect for the human, natural and built heritage entrusted to us," she concluded.

The presentation of the PRISMAC project, which has the University of the Azores as a partner, was attended by the Vice-Chancellor for Infrastructures of the Government of the Canary Islands.