ISLANDS FOR SUSTAINABILITY | Encontro realiza-se na Graciosa de 29 a 31 de maio




A Graciosa acolhe de 29 e 31 de maio o "Islands for Sustainability", que se realizará no auditório da Escola Básica e Secundária da Graciosa.

Este encontro contará com a presença de especialistas, investigadores, decisores políticos e representantes da sociedade civil, reunindo-se para refletir sobre os principais desafios e soluções para a sustentabilidade das ilhas, com especial foco na conservação da natureza e no envolvimento das comunidades locais.

O evento contará ainda com a participação da Diretora Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática e, no dia 30 de maio, terá como orador principal o Sr. Gregg Howald, especialista internacional em conservação de ilhas.

Paralelamente, entre os dias 28 e 31 de maio, terá também lugar o 1.º Encontro da Rede de Jovens das Reservas da Biosfera de Portugal, iniciativa que visa fomentar o diálogo intergeracional, promover o protagonismo juvenil e reforçar os laços entre jovens comprometidos com os princípios da sustentabilidade nas Reservas da Biosfera.


Thursday, 29 May 2025 

12:00 – 13:00 
Reception and Registration 
Welcome remarks 

13:00 – 18:00 
Field Visit and Participatory Activity 
Route across Graciosa Island: public space exploration, walking arts, and collective reflection in context. Trip to Furna do Enxofre and «Route of Sensations», in the Parish of São Mateus 

Hands-on voices: co-creation workshop with youth and vulnerable communities through process-based art and action 
Led by Catarina Dias Cadima (University of Porto) 


Friday, 30 May 2025 

09:00 – 09:40 
Opening Session 
Institutional greetings and introduction to the SHiFT | Islands for Sustainability initiative. 

Traditional music by Escola Básica e Secundária da Graciosa 

09:40 – 11:15 
Panel 1 | Water, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience 
Chair: Filipa Bessa (University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology) 

Ana Hipólito (Trisolaris - Advanced Technologies Lda.) – Harnessing nature for sustainable water management in the Azores: The GENESIS Project 

Nuno da Silva Ferreira (SRAAC) – Caldeirão do Corvo: water and conservation Omer Cevdet Bilgin (University of Ataturk) – Island Biodiversity under Threat: 
A Comparative Analysis of Species Richness Estimators for Conservation Strategies 

Paulo Silva Borges (IITAA, IAH-GP) – Elements for sustainability on small islands – water 

Pedro Santos Raposo (Graciosa Environment and Climate Action Services) – Adaptation of artificial nests in the Praia Islet Nature Reserve (Graciosa) to climate change 


11:15 – 11:30 Coffee Break 

11:30 – 13:00 
Panel 2 | Biocultural Landscapes and Traditional Knowledge 
Chair: Catarina Cadima (University of Porto) 

Azucena de la Cruz Martin (SPEA - Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds) – Towards fully sustainable lighting in Macaronesia: Case-study of Graciosa Island (Azores) 

Carolina Mendonça (Azores DMO) – Açores: a certified sustainable destination 

Fedra Machado (Ilha das Flores Biosphere Reserve - Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action) – Flores Island – heaven on Earth? AKA, a pristine spot? 

Maria Bakatsaki and Hippocrates Manoudakis (Technical University of Crete) – The “Mitata” of Crete: Traditional Architecture and Sustainable Practices in the Preservation of Island Ecosystems 

Marta Cunha (Fajãs São Jorge Biosphere Reserve - Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action) – Vineyards and cultural landscapes in São Jorge 

Nurinisa Esenbuga (University of Ataturk) – The Role of Sustainable Livestock in the Protection of Biocultural Heritage on the Islands: The Case of Bozcaada 

13:00 – 14:30 Lunch Break 

14:30 – 16:00 
Panel 3 | Communities, Memory and Local Practices 
Chair: Joana Ralão (HTC-NOVA FCSH/CFE-UC) 

Ana Sofia Ribeiro (ICS- University of Lisbon) – How it was, how it can be: more than human disaster stories in Graciosa 

Edna Isabel Ramos Pereira (NOVA FCSH) – Graciosa in the Anthropocene 

Filipa Bessa (University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology) – Building a Zero Pollution Narrative for Island Sustainability 

Licínia Soares (Ilha do Porto Santo Biosphere Reserve) – Porto Santo Island Biosphere Reserve - Refuge of Senses 

Cátia Lourenço (SDAFl) – Flores Island as a Policy Experimentation Hub: Biodiversity Credits and Community-Led Landscape Management 

16:00 – 16:15 Coffee Break 

16:15 – 17:45 
Panel 4 | Participation, Education and Literacy for Sustainability 
Chair: Maria Bakatsaki (Technical University of Crete) 

Francisca Tapia (University of Pecs – ABUD) – Less Is More? Reconciling Tourism and Habitat Protection in the Galápagos through Adaptive Governance 

Katarzyna Sroczynska (MARE - University of Évora) – GraciosAzul: Literacy on the Natural Heritage of the Graciosa Island Biosphere Reserve 

Sonia Quiroga (Complutense University of Madrid) – Archipelago of Resistance 

Thilini Nathali Seneviratne (Finland Futures Research Center-University of Turku) – Anticipatory thinking in sustainability transformation: a comparative study of island entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka and southwestern Finland archipelago 

Daniela Casimiro (University of Azores – CIBIO) – Roots & Routes: Connecting Islands through local breeds and rural tourism 

18:00 – 19:00 
Keynote: Gregg Howald (Advanced Conservation Strategies – ACS) Lessons from the islands for the decade of restoration and the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework 


Saturday, 31 May 2025 
09:30 – 11:00 Panel 5 | Arts, Music and Creative Expression in Island Sustainability 
Chair: Fedra Machado (Ilha das Flores Biosphere Reserve - Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action) 

Maria Isabel Caldeira (Santana Biosphere Reserve) – Music, belonging and identity in Santana Biosphere 

Paula Aguiar – Knowledge comes with experience: bringing cultural heritage, gastronomy and science to the table 

Stefania Daniele– Kukuu Project: Back to Azorean roots to preserve and value their natural identity 

11:00 – 11h30 
Closing Session and Roundtable Final reflections from the panel chairs Discussion of key insights and transversal themes Institutional closing remarks Traditional music by Escola Básica e Secundária da Graciosa 

14:00 – 15:00 
Visit to the Museum of Santa Cruz (Optional)












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