Africa-Press – Cape verde. The president of the Smart City Foundation, Loide Monteiro, asserted today that the organization is willing to contribute “practically and join forces” in initiatives that help rebuild the city and strengthen its resilience.
“We must learn from this catastrophe and act now to make our cities more resilient, safe, and prepared for the future. Investments in smart urban planning, solid infrastructure, and technology are not superfluous expenses, but essential tools to protect lives, reduce losses, and build more sustainable and inclusive cities,” she emphasized in an interview with Inforpress.
According to engineer Loide Monteiro, since 2019, the Smart City Foundation has been advocating for smarter and more resilient solutions for cities through awareness-raising and pilot projects, but still faces difficulty in persuading authorities of their priority.
“The events in São Vicente reinforce this need. The Foundation has already expressed its willingness to collaborate with MIOTH and work collaboratively with the government and city councils, the engineering and architectural associations, and others, contributing its expertise to the redesign of São Vicente and other cities according to the vision of 4S Cities: Smart, Sustainable, Safe, and with a Smile,” he commented.
He explained, however, that this involves smart urban planning, the integration of technologies for preventing and responding to extreme events, reconstruction with sustainable solutions, and the training of participatory citizens, with a view to building a more resilient, inclusive city prepared for climate challenges.
Aware that the Smart City concept is costly and involves a greater initial investment in technology than the traditional model, Loide Monteiro clarifies that it does not replace basic infrastructure; on the contrary, it complements it.
“Smart technologies allow for risk monitoring, resource optimization, and increased efficiency of existing infrastructure, such as drainage and roads, preventing greater damage in extreme situations,” he added.
“Should we continue to simply react to the damage, as is happening now in São Vicente, where the amount needed to restore normalcy is still unknown, or should we work on prevention to reduce future impacts?” he asked.
He assured that investing in “smart” solutions is not an additional expense, but a way to make the use of public resources more efficient and increase the city’s resilience, reducing reconstruction and repair costs.
Loide Monteiro concluded by emphasizing that the storm exposed vulnerabilities, but also reinforced the need to integrate smart urban planning, solid infrastructure, and technology for safer, future-ready cities.
“Being a Smart City after devastation means turning loss into opportunity,” he concluded.
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