Party is “not against project” but insists community is owed a detailed explanation
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) of Portimão has called for a public session to clarify details about the CisWEFE-NEX project in Mexilhoeira Grande, a small town in the municipality of Portimão with a population of just over 4,300.
While making it clear that it is “not against the project,” the party feels that the local community is owed a detailed explanation about it to ensure greater transparency and address community concerns.
The project – which aims to integrate water, energy, and food production within a circular system in which “nothing goes to waste” – is recognised by PSD Portimão as a project that “in theory, can bring benefits to the parish and the municipality, in line with principles of innovation and sustainability that should guide the cities of the future.”
However, the “concerns raised by the population and the social alarm caused by the lack of information about the project” warrant further explanations about the endeavour, PSD Portimão says, calling for the developers of the project, along with the regional development commission (CCDR Algarve) and Portimão municipal council, to organise a public session to explain the project in further detail.
“PSD is not opposed to the project and acknowledges its potential positive impact on the municipality. However, it underscores the importance of explaining the initiative’s objectives, methods, and impacts to the local population,” the statement reads.
“Mexilhoeira Grande is a parish with rural characteristics, which is environmentally sensitive and where people feel a deep connection to their land. Any large-scale project must be carried out with the involvement of those who live there,” PSD Portimão says.
It adds that a public forum would help rebuild trust, alleviate fears, and reinforce the credibility of the project, which has already entered its initial implementation phase.
For an idea of how CisWEFE-NEX works, an online video can be found here.
The project brings together an international consortium from nine countries that includes national partners such as INOVA+, MORE CoLAB, In Loco, Dariacordar, Coopérnico, IDAD and REQUIMTE, as well as other leading European organisations.
