Helena Freitas, a professor in the area of Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of Coimbra, expressed her “great concern” today about the fire in Madeira, which threatens “the relic” of the Laurissilva forest, classified as a World Heritage Site.
“It is a terrible situation. It will be a great sadness if this destroys the Laurissilva forest because it is truly precious. People also need to feel that a large part of Madeira’s economy and viability is due to this forest”, he told Lusa this afternoon, while trying to assess the fire situation.
The professor highlighted that this is a completely unique heritage that “no one else has of this dimension” and is vital for the future of the archipelago.
Helena Freitas highlighted that the forest, which occupies around 20% of the territory, around 15 thousand hectares, is what guarantees humidity on the island of Madeira.
“When we think about the levadas and visits to Madeira, much of the tourism also results from this identity, this richness and this unique character that the island has”, she highlighted.
The professor, coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Development, has doubts about whether it will be possible to recover from the damage caused by the fire.
“I don’t even know if we can talk about a recoverable situation, but it is indeed a very unique collection. We are talking about an exuberant vascular flora, with more than a thousand species, of which around 20% are completely exclusive to the island of Madeira,” he described.
Helena Freitas also highlights the importance of forests in preventing erosion in very mountainous terrain, noting that productive capacity also depends on soils. “There is nothing that is not affected by the loss of biodiversity,” she stressed.
The expert warned of the need for commitment to the conservation and protection of the forest and, if necessary, to focus on restoration, recalling that the Government approved the European law in this area and that this could be a first step.
“If we put the Laurissilva at the first level of intervention and protection, I would be very satisfied, as I believe it would be the greatest opportunity,” she said.