Ribeira Quente slopes to be studied under PRISMAC project - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, through the Regional Directorate for Public Works, will be a partner in PRISMAC - Analysing, Mitigating and Managing the Risk of Slope Movements caused by climate change in Macaronesia. The parish of Ribeira Quente was chosen, due to the instability of its slopes, to begin this project in the Azores.

On March 11, the Regional Secretary, Berta Cabral, will preside over the signing ceremony in Ponta Delgada for the contract between the Regional Directorate for Public Works, the Viceconsejería de Infraestructuras del Gobierno de Canarias and IVAR - Research Institute for Volcanology and Risk Assessment.

The Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation, the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute, the Atlantic Technical University and the University of Cape Verde are also partners in the project.

In a region with precedents for the production of science and technical-scientific development, the Regional Directorate for Public Works, as a centre of expertise in this specific area, has brought together a diversity of knowledge to coordinate a specific project for the first time. It aims to meet the needs in terms of prevention, anticipation and training, as set out in the PRISMAC project.

This project has an overall budget of €1,255,090.00, with 85% co-financing from the ERDF.

It should be noted that under the INTERREG VI-D Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands (MAC) 2021-2027 programme, PRISMAC is coordinated by the Regional Directorate for Public Works as the main partner. It has been awarded an ERDF grant to carry out its strategic activities.

PRISMAC consists of three essential pillars for three regions affected by slope instability. It will be implemented over four years. 

PRISMAC is primarily aimed at analysing, mitigating and managing natural risks, particularly the risk of slope movements, which has increased as a result of climate change.

The project intends to develop and align methodologies for analysing susceptibility and risk to slope movements with a view to identifying risk sites for the development of monitoring, warning and alarm systems, on a local and regional scale, for each of the regions.

It also aims to disseminate knowledge among the partners involved, train the organisations involved in disaster response and improve the mitigation of slope movement risks.