The municipality of Ponte da Barca, located in Viana do Castelo, released images this week of drone operations in the area affected by this summer’s fires.
“After the fires that devastated large areas of the municipality of Ponte da Barca and consumed significant portions of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, the Serra Amarela begins to show signs of hope,” reads a Facebook post shared by the municipality.
“A pasture seeding operation is underway, an essential measure to accelerate the regeneration of burned areas, protect the soil, and ensure animal feed,” explain the municipal authorities.
They outline that the main objective of these initiatives is to restore ecosystems affected by the fire by promoting vegetation cover and preventing soil erosion.
The images shared by the municipality in the post also mention that, simultaneously, they help ensure food for animals whose natural pastures were destroyed.
The pasture seeding effort involves collaboration with other organizations, including the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests and the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers, among others.
The area burned at the end of July, with the deputy mayor, José Alfredo, at the time describing the flames as a “stab in the heart.” “The impacts of this fire will have long-term effects,” he noted.
Earlier this week, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, spoke about the fires during a ceremony honoring the victims of the 2017 blazes. Eight years after the major October wildfires devastated regions in the Center and North of the country, the head of state remarked that not all changes have been implemented and that mindsets also need to evolve.
Emphasizing the need for municipalities to have more power to prevent fires, Marcelo also highlighted that bureaucratic issues and ‘mindsets’ slow down much of the preventive measures that could already have been taken.
“And the mentality was and still is, in many cases, slow to change. Many absentee owners, or those present but without resources, resisted the idea of greater local government intervention. More essential funds are also needed,” he explained, noting that the prevention scheme needs improvement, including a greater military role.
