The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stressed today that the changes to Coastal Management Plans (POOC), already under way on Terceira and São Jorge islands, are part of the "Regional Government's strategy for the continuous monitoring the implementation of spatial planning tools in force." According to her, it allows their "adjustment to the new challenges facing the Azores. "
 
"The changes to Terceira POOC and those to São Jorge POOC, whose advisory committee met yesterday for the first time, falls within a broader process aimed at evaluating and, consequently, changing the Azores Coastal Management Plans for the next four years, that is, until 2022, considering the date of approval," said Marta Guerreiro. She spoke in Praia da Vitória at the first consultative meeting of Terceira POOC.
 
The Secretary for the Environment stated that "the process for the assessment and changes of two Coastal Management Plans on the island of São Miguel will begin this year in order to merge them into a single plan."
 
"These processes fall within a strategy for the sustainable development of the Azores. They are based on the fact that the dynamics of land occupation and use require permanent and qualified monitoring to ensure the periodic evaluation of territorial management tool" in face of the challenges that the Region has to overcome," added Marta Guerreiro.
 
In her speech, the government official highlighted climate change as "one of the greatest challenges" of today. Hence, "one of main goals of these changes concerns the adaptation of Coastal Management Plans to the consequences of climate change in the context of the Regional Programme for Climate Change (PRAC)," which is under consideration by the Legislative Assembly.
 
According to Marta Guerreiro, "after more than 13 years of implementation and considering the evolution of economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions," it is necessary to change Terceira POOC "without interfering with the goals leading to its preparation." These changes are intended to adapt it to the challenges that the island of Terceira and the Azores currently face. The works will be followed up by an advisory committee.
 
The advisory committee includes representatives of regional and local authorities as well as of economic and social partners, including non-governmental environmental organisations from Terceira.
 
For the Regional Secretary, the "scope" of the advisory committee will promote "a widely participated process, involving not only institutional partners but also the entire population." This process will ensure an "adequate consideration of all matters of significant public interest in the context of the changes to Terceira POOC."