Loli / X
Effects of Kristin depression in Leiria
Ingrid, Joseph, Kristin. Dead, destruction, damage. And an important part of the solution lies in… Nature.
The depression caused this sequence of problems: at the weekend there was heavy rain, snow, and sea disturbances. One dead, one injured, power cuts, schools closed.
From Monday to Tuesday, depression took over the country and one person died. Trees fell, roads were cut.
This Wednesday, the worst of all: depression killed at least four people. And it led to local officials even leaving the warning: “Don’t leave the house”.
The weaknesses
Ingrid, Joseph, Kristin. In less than a week, three storms – which brought Portugal’s weaknesses to the surface.
SPEA (Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds) | BirdLife leaves the three most delicate points, in a statement sent to ZAP.
The first is the urban waterproofing and the destruction of wetlands. The “human finger” has been essential here, by transforming the territory – and by eliminating the natural capacity to absorb water. Ecosystems become less resilient, the risk of flooding increases.
Most of council pruning weakens trees. Don’t protect them. Pruning opens wounds that are difficult to heal, acting as a gateway for pathogens and facilitating the rotting of the trunk.
A resilience depends on nature-based solutions: the enhancement of green spaces, the ecological restoration of streams and the qualified management of afforestation are more effective approaches than artificial or counterproductive interventions.
The solutions
SPEA | BirdLife also remembers that much of the solution to combat these natural phenomena is… nature.
First way: value and increase urban green spaces. Parks, gardens and green corridors increase soil permeability, facilitate the retention and natural flow of water and reduce the severity of floods in densely urbanized areas.
Ecological restoration of streams and riverbanks. Recovering the natural structure of streams in urban and peri-urban areas improves water storage capacity, reduces soil erosion and creates green corridors, essential for temperature regulation and fauna in the city.
Finally, the qualified management of green spaces and street trees: healthy trees, properly planted, with balanced crowns and roots, will serve to regulate the temperature of cities and protect people and goods from strong winds.
