This document discusses climate change and its impacts on the Azores islands. It notes that global warming is projected to reach 2.7°C by 2100 due to current greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases like CO2 accumulate in the atmosphere due to fossil fuel use, trapping more heat and causing global warming, sea level rise, and ecosystem alterations. The Azores are particularly vulnerable due to being islands influenced by sea currents. Recent extreme precipitation events there have caused flooding and landslides. Future climate projections indicate more extreme winter precipitation and decreased spring/fall rainfall, impacting water resources and agriculture. The document proposes an action plan to educate students on planting trees to reduce CO2 and engage stakeholders across the Azorean education system to

1. Climate Changes
Azores vulnerability
UNSDG 13
Climate action
5th-9th June 2023

2. Climate change is a real threat to all the
world. Its effects are already visible in all
continents and require our awareness,
understanding and concrete action.
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, the 195
signatories agreed to keep global warming
"well under 2°C". However, considering
current performance, global warming will
reach about 2.7 °C (4.9 °F) by the end of
the century.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-pattern-of-change-in-mean-annual-air-
temperature-between-the-periods-1951-1978-and_fig1_357849856
Heating up…

3. Current societies use large
amounts of fossil fuels to meet
their needs;
For this reason, huge amounts
of greenhouse gases are
released and accumulate in the
atmosphere, such as CO2
(carbon dioxide);
Present situation

4. These greenhouse gases accumulate a
greater amount of heat in the
atmosphere, causing:
Global Warming
Defrosting
Sea water level rise
Ecosystems alteration which causes
severe vulnerability to many species
and can even cause their extinction;
Present situation

5. The Azores are more vulnerable to all these climate
changes, because they are Atlantic islands and
therefore influenced by sea currents;
Thus, in recent years, with increased frequency,
there have been climate phenomena of extreme
percipitation that in a few hours lead to:
 Flooding in hydrografic basins that don’t
have the capcity to drain.
 Slope movements due to the saturation
of the land.
Present situation

6. • It is expected an increase in Winter
precipitation leading to the occurrence of
more extreme precipitation events than at
present.
• Also the Spring and Fall precipitation
decrease can affect the development of
crops and local flora.
Angra do Heroísmo, 2015
Impacts on the Azores

7. • The future climate of Terceira will
have a shorter rainy season, more
concentrated in the Winter months.
• This could have a significant impact on
the island’s water resources,
increasing the severe precipitation
events in Winter and imposing water
deficit stresses in Summer.
Angra do Heroísmo, 2015
Impacts on the Azores

8. RIBEIRA QUENTE
(São Miguel Island)
• October 31st 1997;
• 29 deaths, 21 million
euros in damages.

9. POVOAÇÃO
(São Miguel Island)
• February 28th 2013

10. •March 13th 2013
•3 deaths
FAIAL DA TERRA
(São Miguel Island)

11. PORTO JUDEU
(Terceira Island)
• March 14th 2013

12. AGUALVA
(Terceira Island)
• December 12th 2009

13. São Miguel Arcanjo
(Pico Island)
•June 13th 2014;
• 31 homeless.

14. MADALENA
(Pico Island)
• 27th february 2017

15. Action Plan
To mitigate this problem, we propose an action that envolves the youngest students, since
they are the most open-minded people to climatic issues and can spread the message to
their family and friends.

16.  Raise the awareness of the school community by creating a plan through which we can teach the younger
students in our school about the urgency to plant more trees as a way to decrease the CO2 concentration in
the atmosphere. We can do that during the time reserved to Citizenship. This process has already began with
the planting of fruit trees, that can also promote the schools sustainable food production;
1st year

17. 2nd year
 Propose to the School Committee that all the primary schools of Terceira Island apply
the same plan. These process would be monitored by high school students during
their Citizenship classes;
3rd year
Propose to the Azorean Education Secretary the implementation of this program in
every high school of the Azores archipelago.

18. Following years
 Engage influencers, with great impact on teenagers, to disseminate our project to
reach more people.
We hope that over the years, the concentration of CO2 decreases, reducing the
greenhouse effect and mitigating the climate changes and the environmental hazard
to the azorean islands.

19. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
THE END!