Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting of the European Union (EU) Council of Agriculture Ministers in Luxembourg, Portugal’s minister of agriculture José Manuel Fernandes has announced a series of planned investments under the executive’s water plan. He stressed: “We cannot always be chasing losses”. Investments in irrigation are being accelerated, “guaranteeing that any decision would be in favour of farmers, giving them ‘predictability and stability’ in terms of water storage and supply”, says Lusa. A new ‘drought meeting’ has also been set for May 10 (to take place in the Algarve), to evaluate actions “to be taken immediately”.
The government has made a point of stressing the lack of planning and preparing for situations of ‘water scarcity’, saying that it means to implement investment in “increasing water supply efficiency, increasing storage capacity, reducing water losses in public systems, and in optimising existing infrastructure”.
According to the government, a “national plan for storage and efficient supply of water” is a priority.
