Water consumption in the Algarve has decreased by 9.6% in the urban sector and 35% in agriculture since May, with the region maintaining the restrictions defined that month until the end of the year, the Minister of the Environment revealed today.
“Everyone made an effort, but there are some sectors that did more than others. The agricultural sector was the one that made the greatest effort”, Graça Carvalho told reporters after the meeting of the Southern Regional Subcommittee of the Albufeiras Management Committee, held in Faro.
In May, the government of Luís Montenegro had relaxed the restrictions imposed on water consumption in agriculture and the urban sector in the Algarve, initially defined in February by the previous government, headed by António Costa, to deal with the drought in the region.
“It was agreed that agriculture and tourism would make a 13% effort to save water. Agriculture won 35%, the towns and companies that adhered to the ‘Save Water’ seal saved 14%, golf made a great effort saving 22% and the municipalities, which were supposed to save 10%, ended up with 9.6%,” said the governor.
Graça Carvalho admitted, however, that “there is inequality” between municipalities and added: “There are municipalities that saved a lot and there are others that did not save, they remained more or less the same”.
In this regard, the Minister of Environment and Energy guaranteed that the restrictions defined in May will remain in place until the end of the year.
“There is no worsening because, on average, we managed to exceed what we wanted to save and, therefore, we can say: the Algarve, as a whole, saved water above what we intended. That is great. At the same time, we have 16 cubic hectometres more than last year. But to say that last year was a year of very strong drought, we must continue to make a great effort,” he said.
The final report will be prepared at the end of 2024 and the Government is committed to taking action if local councils or other sectors “continue to fail to save”, adjusting measures based on expenditure and water availability.
In addition to saving on consumption, the Minister stressed the need to “have new sources of water” and highlighted the set of investments for the Algarve in this sector, budgeted at 360 million euros, of which 260 million come from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
Graça Carvalho said that the tender to award the works for the desalination plant, which will be built in the municipality of Albufeira, “is already in the final phase”, and that 100% of the financing by the PRR will be guaranteed if the works are carried out quickly outside.
“If the project moves forward quickly, there will be no problem in having it fully financed by the PRR, because we need projects that are implemented quickly. If everything goes well, it can be 100% financed by the PRR. I hope that this will be the solution,” said the minister.
The president of the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve (AMAL), António Miguel Pina, warned in August that 50 million euros were missing to finance the works of the future desalination plant, given the support provided for in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
“The work initially had a certain perspective of value and today, we know, it will be between 106, 108 million [de euros]. The two proposals were presented in that order of values, which means that another 50 million are missing. [de euros] to finance 100% of this investment,” the mayor said at the time.
On the other hand, the Minister of Environment and Energy will meet next week with her Spanish counterpart, Teresa Ribera, to finalise the agreement between both countries that will allow progress in the capture of water from the Guadiana River, in the area of Pomarão, municipality of Mértola, district of Beja, to supply the Algarve.
Source: Observadora
