On 21 January, the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, promoted an online session entitled ‘Beyond Conservation: How the Azores’ Ecosystems Benefit Our Lives’. This initiative reinforced a fundamental idea: we all benefit from ecosystems every day, often without realising it. From climate and water regulation to soil protection, food production and the promotion of physical and mental well-being, the Azorean ecosystems provide multiple services that are fundamental to the quality of life of the population.

The session also highlighted that investing in nature is investing in our future. The concrete conservation and ecological recovery actions developed under the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project are a decisive contribution to the enhancement of natural capital. They are crucial to ensuring the balance, resilience and proper functioning of the ecosystems on which we all depend.

The session was attended by around 200 registered participants and featured guest speaker Dr Paula Antunes, professor at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and researcher at the Centre for Research in Environment and Sustainability (CENSE).

You can watch the video of the session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWoXIvtJ20U