Local Working Group in Madeira
Last 24th of September, SOCLIMPACT project celebrated its seventh Local Working Group in Madeira Island.
The event was split into two parts. In the first one, the participants visited the Aquaculture Center of Calheta where Fabiola Pereira from AREAM explained the possibility to create synergies and develop a project regarding the incorporation of solar PV panels to reduce energy consumption in aquaculture.
Carlos Andrade from the Aquaculture centre of Calheta featured the stakeholder’s introduction with a presentation of the research made about the influence of temperature rise as a determinant factor in the productivity of species for the aquaculture sector.
The main questions introduced by Carlos Andrade during the session were about modelling boundaries and assumptions including the benefits of the output to create more knowledge, develop spatial temperature rise and the potential effects in aquaculture regarding productivity, species, growth and weight.
Finally, the participants defined the temperature rise as a relevant Climate Change (CC) impact indicator for the aquaculture sector.
In the second part, Ricardo Meneses gave a presentation of IPCC and definitions of the representative’s concentration pathways.
Then, a performance of SOCLIMPACT project took place where the main questions were about the data to feed modelling tools and which boundaries will be applied. In this regard, Elodie Briech (soclimpact partner from TEC) explained that the process would develop regarding CORDEX and the simulation could be with a distance in the Atlantic Ocean of 8 km.
The roundtable celebrated in this second part focused on the selection of relevant CC indicators and principal risks for Coastal and Maritime Tourism sector in Madeira Island. The main risks detected were the loss of tourist experience value in the destination due to:
– Changes in environmental attributes: Increased danger of forest fires and beach availability
– Changes in human being comfort: Increase of health issues due to emergent diseases (Dengue, Zica..)
– The quality of infrastructures and facilities: Increase in damage to infrastructures and facilities (accommodation, promenades, water treatment system, etc.) due to sea-level rise and storms.
Ricardo Meneses from AREAM presented as case study the risk of reduction of tourist arrivals by air due to strong winds. The session ended with an open discussion about flood flashes and the use of too high precipitation as a possible parameter.
All stakeholders agreed that this type of meetings are crucial to SOCLIMPACT project be useful in the fight against Climate Change in the Blue Economy of European Island, so all of them shown a favourable disposition in the commitment with it.