Ireneu Barreto, Representative of the Republic for the Region, says that we cannot ignore the tragedy of the fires that devastated the Region, saying that it is necessary to focus on prevention and that the debate has to be more technical than political.
In his speech at the solemn session of the Municipality Day, Ireneu Barreto believes that it is imperative that, from now on, we reflect on what happened and what can be done so that, in the future, the Region does not go through similar situations again.
“What I do know is that, if we don’t correct what we need to correct. If we continue to act as we have done so far, we will inevitably have the same results, and with consequences that are perhaps much more serious than those of the last month.”
The representative of the Republic assures that the most correct, the safest, and the cheapest is always to bet on prevention, understanding that experts must create effective and permanent mountain surveillance.
“We have to understand that cultural practices, such as pyrotechnic devices, agricultural burnings or bonfires in the forest are in the current context discouraged, and have to be strictly controlled, using all legal mechanisms.” He further added that the country has to be forest fire aware and better prepared.
“Finally, the last certainty I leave you is that this debate has to be, much more technical than political,” stressing the importance of the public authorities, all public authorities, working together and increasingly closer to the populations that elected them, can listen to the technicians and agree on long-term intervention strategies, allowing those involved to resolve forest fire problems.
“Because, even with natural, healthy, and democratic occasional divergences, what justifies and legitimizes all public powers without exception is the common good and the supreme interest of the populations they represent,” he concluded.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
