SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Dec. 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning of the Government of the Canary Islands, José Antonio Valbuena, has held a virtual meeting with the island councils to present the first proposal for the distribution of the credits corresponding to two lines of the funds of European recovery ‘Next Generation’.
In this case, a total of 8,814,406 euros will be distributed among the seven island institutions for actions to restore ecosystems and green infrastructure and sustainable forest management.
Valbuena has asked the councils to draw up a list of possible actions to be financed by the authorized investments, which must comply with the requirements established by the European Union and which have been provided to these corporations as the different sectoral conferences were held.
These specific grants for councils join the open calls already announced by the Canarian Executive of the recovery funds to promote electric mobility (MOVES III), with more than 15 million euros, and photovoltaic self-consumption, with more than 18 million euros, informs the Government in a note.
Valbuena has remarked that “although it is not an essential requirement to include local administrations in the management of these European funds, it was clear from the first moment from the regional government that inter-administrative collaboration and the involvement of councils in this process it is essential for the aid to reach all the productive and social sectors of the islands “.
The first line of confirmed financing focuses on the restoration of ecosystems, more specifically on their ecological and hydrological components, and on the improvement of organic carbon in soils and actions against desertification.
This financing sheet will include actions for the ecological restoration of vulnerable habitats or in an unfavorable state of conservation, the creation of high mountain corridors, the regeneration of coastal and marine ecosystems, the hydrological forest restoration and the recovery of agricultural land to increase the biodiversity of the area.
In this sense, a special boost will be given to large-scale connectivity actions, taking advantage of the possibilities of the network of livestock routes or inter-regional projects.
The second of the lines will cover interventions related to afforestation and planning for the improvement of forest masses and their biodiversity, the enrichment of species and their sustainable use, technical support plans for forest owners and administrations for the consolidation of the public ownership, the drafting of planning projects or management plans and, finally, actions to adapt to the problem of forest fires and support for the forestry sector.
