In Lagoa, an Algarve municipality with around 25,000 inhabitants, known for its natural values (for example, the famous Benagil cave), technology and innovation are strategic tools for building a sustainable future. For Luis Encarnação, President of the municipal executive, "these are essential instruments for improving administrative efficiency, increasing transparency, providing quality public services and creating a more sustainable and liveable urban environment".
In recent years, the municipality of Lagoa has adopted a development strategy that prioritizes improving environmental quality and quality of life for both local residents and visitors. According to Luis Encarnação, "our vision is to create a sustainable and attractive urban environment, based on three fundamental pillars: environmental sustainability, sustainable economic development and quality of life and well-being".
Lagoa smart city
A fundamental part of this municipal strategy is the development of the "Smart City" concept in Lagoa. For the mayor, "the use of technology and innovation, and the development of a smart city, are fundamental in addressing the challenges faced by complex urban areas in creating more efficient, sustainable and liveable urban environments". For Luis Encarnação, "this development strategy is making Lagoa an example for other cities to follow in their quest for a brighter and more sustainable future". It should be noted that, very recently, the Municipality of Lagoa was one of the six municipalities awarded in the 1st edition of the Portugal Smart Cities Awards, which distinguished the Smart City Lagoa management platform, which includes the environmental monitoring system, in the "Sustainable and Intelligent Urban Rehabilitation" category.
Partnerships are key
To ensure the success of this smart city development strategy, according to the mayor, "we have established partnerships with various companies and institutions, including MEO Empresas, with which we have developed an advanced environmental monitoring system to maintain control of environmental quality in the municipality of Lagoa". The decision to implement an environmental monitoring system "arose from the need to monitor environmental quality in the operations and urban areas of the municipality of Lagoa, and has become a priority, given the growing concern of our citizens with sustainability and well-being," says Luis Encarnação.
Opting for the best offer
After carefully evaluating the options available on the market, the municipality decided to partner with MEO Empresas "because of its affordable proposal and its solid reputation as a provider of high quality and innovative services. The proposal stood out for being highly competitive in terms of cost and effectiveness, with an ideal balance between functionality, ease of implementation and accessibility," says the mayor.
Successful implementation
successful The project to implement the environmental monitoring system, in partnership with MEO Empresas, "has been a successful journey to improve environmental quality in our municipality", says the mayor. From the municipality's perspective, the installation of ten pieces of environmental monitoring equipment took place without any significant problems. An important factor that facilitated the installation was the use of solar panels to power the equipment, which made the choice of installation sites flexible and sustainable.
This self-sufficient energy system has proven to be not only effective, but also environmentally friendly.
Furthermore, in the assessment of the municipality's services, the maintenance of the equipment has been efficient and uncomplicated. As a result, more than 90% of the time, all ten pieces of equipment are fully operational, providing valuable data. In the current state of the project, the "Smart City Lagoa" operations center receives regular, real-time environmental monitoring data via an IoT communications network, an API and a web platform. The data provided by the sensors integrated into the equipment is used to monitor air quality, noise levels and suspended particles. "This information is essential for making informed decisions, allowing the municipality to respond quickly to environmental events such as pollution and climate change," says the mayor.
Short- and long-term benefits
From Lagoa's perspective, the implementation of environmental sensor systems not only brings immediate benefits - such as improved environmental quality and the ability to respond to emergencies - but will also bring long-term benefits, including greater environmental sustainability, improved quality of life, reduced operating costs, and the fostering of innovation and economic growth. For Luis Encarnação, environmental monitoring is "an integral part of our strategy to transform into a smarter, more sustainable city". For the mayor, "this project represents a significant step towards a cleaner and healthier urban environment. The municipality of Lagoa and its executive are committed to continuing to promote environmental quality and the well-being of its citizens through innovation and technology," he concludes.