The associations Almargem - Association for the Defense of the Cultural, Environmental Heritage of the Algarve and Cidade da Participação - Associação Cívica have launched a fundraising campaign through the GoFundMe platform to stop the urbanization of the wetlands of Alagoas Brancas, in Lagoa, facing the local authority in court.
The organisers state on the campaign page, “Contrary to what would be expected, the Municipality of Lagoa continues to insist on allowing the destruction of a wetland, ignoring its ecological value and allowing construction in a floodplain area”.
At issue is the plan to build a commercial area on the land, one of the last freshwater wetlands in the Algarve, which adjoins the urban area of the city of Lagoa. Recently studied by Almargem in partnership with SPEA - Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, Alagoas Brancas revealed great “ecological wealth”, currently home to “114 bird species, 1% of the regional population of black ibis, 1% of the national population of carraceiro”.
For Lucinda Caetano and Victor Lourenço, responsible for the campaign, "this process must be stopped." However, help is needed, which they hope to get through the crowdfunding now created. “We need help to cover legal expenses; help to prepare informational materials on wetlands, especially Alagoas; help to prepare an exhibition about the history of Alagoas; help in the preparation of outreach materials.”
The associations hope to gather around 10,000 Euros to continue their work and legal proceedings to halt the urbanization of the area.
You can donate to the Alagoas Brancas GoFundMe fundraiser HERE.
Original article available in Portuguese at http://postal.pt/
