“A new national strategy of environmental education defines a number of priority themes to be worked on annually.”, asserted Augusto Serrano representative of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) at the YRE National Operators Meeting, in Guimarães.
APA is a public institution created in 2012 administrated by the Portuguese Ministry of the Environment, Territory Management and Energy, even though having financial and conduct autonomy. It aims to propose, develop and monitor sustainable development policies “together with other public and private institutions to reach the same aim” as explained by Augusto Serrano during a quick interview at the NOM.
Augusto Serrano from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA).
He disclosed that the institution pursues a high level of protection and appreciation for the environment also playing an important role in the assurance of environmental education, involving the population. Moreover, APA also plays a role in creating strategies to spread information and supporting national NGO’s, being some of them ABAE, Quercus, GEOTA and FAPAS. However he claims that “since it is a continuous work it might not be that visible for the majority of the citizens. In fact, I believe of environmental related issues and themes are mainly only visible, by people, when they are negative. Nonetheless since the agency resulted from the fusion of different entities we are still learning a new way to put into practice some of our policies.” Veritably APA summarizes purposes and efforts initially taken up by 6 different public institutions and commissions. This results in a more efficient coordination and resource management which is a consequence of the harmonized and simplified procedures.
“In fact there is a lot of investment and great development in environmental education, in Portugal, for example by the municipalities in cooperation with schools. There’s not a lack of environmental education, in great part due to ECO XXI that connects to Eco-Schools since schools need municipalities and vice-versa.”, avowed Augusto bearing in mind that environmental education is a focal point for APA. Being cognizant of that, there is a partnership established with the Ministry of Education that makes it easier to recruit teachers to develop projects focusing on this.
Augusto also set forth that “We support every ABAE program, especially Eco-Schools which involves a huge number of youngsters in Portugal. Nevertheless we mustn’t forget that we need everyone, every generation, because in this moment the problem is not only for the future generations, it’s an issue in the present”, emphasizing the importance of improving the knowledge and information about the environment in all levels of society, reinforcing public participation. After all “This necessity of gaining knowledge about the environment to reach environmental goals at an European level. We have to transmit and reach people about what’s really at stake because if we don’t, we won’t reach the finish line. And that was the motto to create a national strategy of environmental education for the diverse areas of interest.”
All in all, the Portuguese Environment Agency acting in different areas related to the environment, through a handful of various procedures, that even if often not visible nowadays, will hopefully be in a near future. Augusto Serrano made preeminent that “the cooperation between ONG’s and private enterprises and organizations is essential. That was the focal point to the formation of the national strategy of environmental education which despite having been created at the ministry it is not intended to serve the ministry itself, but the people in our communities.”
Portuguese YRE at the NOM 2017
Joana Pedro, Luís Dias, Ruben Pereira, Sara Cascais
