Brava, an "example" of public building conservation. Sarcasm aside, action is urgently needed to save decaying public heritage

The reality cries out for urgent attention to the progressive and alarming degradation of buildings that should serve the community, but instead bear the marks of abandonment and neglect. The Nova Sintra Central School, the Nossa Senhora do Monte School and the once promising municipal auditorium are just a few examples of the growing list of structures crying out for immediate intervention. However, it is the ruin of the former Esparadinha airfield that stands out as the most paradigmatic and incomprehensible testimony to a huge investment that was wasted.

The irony of considering Brava an "example of conservation" becomes even more poignant when we confront the official rhetoric, which may exist, with the sad image that many public buildings present. The Nova Sintra Central School, a space that should be a beacon of knowledge and a welcoming environment for students, shows visible signs of wear and tear, closed, abandoned and with no sign of returning to its golden years. The situation doesn't seem to be any different at the Nossa Senhora do Monte School, where the lack of proper maintenance may be harming teaching and learning conditions.

The municipal auditorium, on the other hand, once the stage for cultural events, community meetings and celebrations, seems to be heading towards obsolescence, with its deterioration depriving Brava of a crucial space for the island's social and cultural life. Inaction in the face of the degradation of these essential infrastructures raises serious questions about the priorities of the responsible authorities and their ability to look after the heritage that serves the population.

However, it is the melancholy spectacle of the airfield at the former Esparadinha aerodrome that reaches the pinnacle of dereliction in the management of public assets. The desolate image of the ruins of an infrastructure that consumed an investment of more than 100,000 escudos - the equivalent of one million dollars - cries out for an explanation that is still not forthcoming. How is it possible that such a significant amount of financial resources has been invested in a project that has apparently been left abandoned, allowing the weather and lack of maintenance to reduce it to the deplorable state that the photographs certainly show?.

The absence of a clear management and maintenance strategy for this major investment, which was never used (the airfield was closed in 1999) reveals a serious flaw in the planning and supervision of public projects on the Brava. The loss of this potential hub for development and connecting the island with the outside world represents not only a waste of public money, but also a missed opportunity to boost Brava's economic and social growth.

Passivity in the face of the degradation of public heritage is not just an aesthetic issue; it has significant practical consequences for the lives of citizens. Schools in poor condition can compromise the quality of education, dilapidated auditoriums limit access to culture and leisure, and the ruin of an airfield represents a barrier to the island's economic development and connectivity.

It is imperative that the responsible authorities in Brava and at national level wake up to the urgency of this situation and adopt concrete measures to reverse this situation of abandonment. An exhaustive survey of the state of conservation of public buildings, the definition of intervention priorities based on the most pressing needs and the allocation of adequate resources for their recovery and maintenance are essential steps.

Transparency in the management of public resources and the accountability of those responsible for negligence in the conservation of heritage are also crucial to prevent situations like the one at the Esparadinha airfield from happening again. The Bravense community deserves to know what happened to this huge investment and what measures will be taken to prevent other public assets from following the same path of ruin.

Instead of serving as a negative "example" of how not to manage public heritage, Brava has the opportunity to reverse this scenario and demonstrate a real commitment to preserving its common assets. The proper restoration and maintenance of public buildings is not only a matter of administrative responsibility, but also an investment in the future of the island and the well-being of its population.