The regional minister for Sustainability, the Environment and the Blue Economy, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, said on Monday that the Andalusian government will invest 2.7 million euros in the extension of the Forest Defence Centre in Serón, in the province of Almería.
This was explained by the Minister of Sustainability during the laying of the first stone of this infrastructure which, as he indicated, “will allow a significant improvement of this infrastructure considered essential for the conservation of the natural areas of the environment”, in a strategic point for the control of the easternmost area of Andalusia, since all the existing means of the Infoca Plan will be located to control and extinguish forest fires more quickly.
Fernández-Pacheco pointed out that there are three Forest Defence Centres in Almería: one in Vélez-Blanco, another in Alhama de Almería and this one in Serón. He also recalled that the Regional Ministry is currently carrying out construction work on the Abla Subcedefo, for 356,282 euros, and work is nearing completion on the Laujar de Andarax Subcedefo, with a contract value of 352,000 euros.
Expansion project
The extension of the CEDEFO of Serón will be developed on just over one hectare and the works have a completion period of 18 months. In addition to the renovation of the existing buildings, the planned actions include the construction of a new landing and parking platform, a new building for a guard house and office for the environmental agents, and a building to house the land resources and vehicles, among others.
As highlighted by the Minister, these works are part of the Infoca Infrastructure Modernisation Plan, which is allocated almost 22 million euros in the Andalusian budget, which includes the construction and refurbishment of Forest Defence Centres and sub-centres, territorial and provincial operational centres, heliports and other buildings.
Along these lines, Fernández-Pacheco recalled that prevention has always been a priority in the Andalusian Government’s environmental policies since it came to power four years ago.
Anticipation as a roadmap
“In Andalusia we believe that anticipation must be the roadmap that guides us in tackling the challenges we face, whatever they may be. And of course, this is a premise that Juanma Moreno’s government has and that differentiates it from previous periods”, he added.
In this regard, the Minister of Sustainability has indicated that in this year’s accounts, 223 million have been allocated for fire prevention and extinction, which is 33 percent more than in 2018. Of these, almost 125 million will go to prevention.
Finally, the Minister of Sustainability stressed that the Andalusian Government has “an unequivocal commitment to Andalusia and to our natural heritage” and that is why it will always “row in one direction, that of environmental sustainability. He also assured that he will work tirelessly to ensure that Andalusia leads a Green Revolution that is a national and European benchmark.
The Minister was accompanied by the Director of Forestry Policy and Biodiversity, Juan Ramón Pérez; the Government Delegate in Almería, Aránzazu Martín; the territorial delegate, Manuel de la Torre; and on behalf of INFOCA, the Director of the Regional Operational Centre, Juan Sánchez; the Director and Deputy Director of the Provincial Operational Centre, Rafael Yebra and Francisco Alcocer; as well as the Provincial Coordinator of the Environmental Agents, Jordi Pérez, and part of the staff.