|
Portugal
|
|
INFORMATION
 In the same heading
 Ring changes for our sake!Keywords
|
Ring changes for our sake!
Article The impact of forestal fires in the inner regions of Portugal
Ring changes for our sakeFireworks and burning away vegetation in the open air without the due surveillance are two of nature's worst enemies. They both occur during summer and end up killing many hectares of forest each year. Beira Interior belongs to the long list of Portuguese areas devastated by these two threats. The question is: will people ever accept willingly to change their habits? Forests occupy about 38% of the Portuguese territory. In 2003, forest fires devastated 420 thousands of hectares, burning 8% of the forested land. Last year, more millions of euros were spent on fighting fires, more people lost their life savings, their homes and their lands, others their lives too. The economy of the country has also been deeply affected. For Nature, there is an irrecoverable loss. Unfortunately, deforestation is no longer a threat. Besides, there is an increasing level of degradation and pollution of the water - rivers, lakes and lagoons - which leads to its alarming scarcity. And last but not least, the drought seems to persist. According to a report of the Water Institute (INAG), from March this year, concerning the current drought situation in Portugal, 60% of the whole territory is in a situation of "extreme drought", which means that, appart from a small northeast area, the rest is already on the brink of a dreadful situation, as hot weather is forecast. While João Avilez, a government authority, says that public supply isn't at stake, the report points out that in several inner councils "there is a shortage of water supply in some small agglomerations, affecting at least 5 356 people". But the worst is the conclusion: "scarcity of water in the riverheads and drained wells are responsible for the situation". And why is that so? Of course one of the most ovbious answers is: forest fires. An urgent call: ring changes people's mentality Forest fires occur not only because of natural causes, but also because of man's unawareness. A careless driver throwing away a burning cigarette, an evil action or other careless human actions may cause fires too. Governmental organizations are already calling people's attention to the dangers of using fireworks in folk celebrations, a tradition in Portugal, mostly in beira Interior. According to last year's statistics, 25 of the inspected fires were due to them. However, where there is a celebration, there must be fireworks. So, it won't be easy to make people understand that it is time to stop, even though they know they may suffer the consequences of their own actions later on. Burning away vegetation in the open air without the right surveillance is another serious problem. The question is people are used to doing it, think they can control the situation and refuse to pay for firemen to be surveyed . Then, a sudden wind change or something unexpected occurs, causing devastation. As a matter of fact, 31% of last year's fires were caused by this kind of human action.
Article written by Filipe Martins, Francisco Feliciano, Gonçalo Freitas, José Brito Escola Secundária José Gomes Ferreira, Lisbon, Portugal, Class 10.2 Attachments
|
What is YRE
Environmental organisations are cooperating too. Quercus, for instance, has launched a project, called "Keeping an eye on forest". Citizens, mainly those living in the most risky areas, are expected to alert the authorities when there is a fire threat, by dialling 117, while they may keep on performing their daily tasks. Quercus also joined the governmental campaign, called "Together for the Forest, everyone against the Fire". The important thing to do is "to change people's mentality, a hard work whose results will only be noticed in a medium or long term", as a government authority declared. In fact, it seems that there is common agreement on the following: involving the citizens is essential. We also share that view. Urgent measures must be taken in order to "educate" the Portuguese people as regards environmental awareness and environmental consciousness, so that they may realize how important natural resources are and become more actively involved in the protection of Nature. 