The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism announced in Ponta Delgada that the Governments of the Azores and Canaries agreed on the creation of the Macaronesia Observatory for Climate Change. This will be achieved through an application for the Interreg Mac 2014-2020 programme that will not only involve the archipelagos of the Azores and the Canaries, but also Madeira and other Macaronesian territories, including Cape Verde.
 
Marta Guerreiro spoke to journalists at the end of a meeting with the Deputy Adviser for the Environment of the Government of the Canaries. She emphasised the commitment of both Governments in implementing this project for its relevance at international level and for the biogeographic region of Macaronesia.
 
"Today, we are increasingly aware of the importance of this subject," said the Regional Secretary. She added that "the archipelagos that make up Macaronesia share characteristics that make them particularly sensitive to these phenomena," namely the concentration of populations in coastal areas, infrastructures located in coastal areas, unequal availability, water quality and endemic biodiversity. These factors make them "naturally more susceptible to extreme weather events as a consequence of the natural phenomena of global warming."
 
"Therefore, we consider it extremely important to coordinate and incorporate strategies through an observatory dedicated to this theme. Its main objectives will be the creation of a decentralised tool on climate change and the promotion of scientific knowledge on this theme through the creation of a repository that congregates information about this subject," said the government official.
 
Marta Guerreiro also said this observatory should promote the "widespread and timely dissemination of information." It will also focus on "the issues of training and awareness of citizens for these future scenarios so that we may identify the measures that will be adopted to overcome the obstacles and constraints arising in this area."
 
According to the government official, we intend that "this observatory be supported under the Interreg Mac 2014-20120 programme. It should not only involve the Azores and the Canary Islands, but also Madeira and Cape Verde; some of its benefits may even be extended to Mauritania and Senegal."
 
Marta Guerreiro pointed out that the meeting also addressed the relevance of Macaronesia Landscape Observatory. Despite being only established between the Regional Governments of the Azores and Madeira, it is considered a tool for the monitoring and joint study of all Macaronesian regions. It should also promote the necessary knowledge for the sustainable management of the landscape in the archipelagos included in this biogeographic region.
 
According to the Regional Secretary, "there are benefits from working together." In this context, "we took the opportunity at the meeting to also address the interest of the Canary Islands" in carrying out an in-depth work under the cooperation between the Government of the Azores and the Canaries.