AMAL president says these are the only “short-term” solutions to drought
“There are only two things” that can be done in the short-term to tackle the Algarve’s drought: “save water and hope it rains”.
So said António Pina, president of the Algarve Municipalities Association (AMAL) and mayor of Olhão, at the opening of ‘Jornadas do Mundo Rural’, an event held in Alcoutim on February 29 and March 1 to discuss the “challenges and opportunities of the rural world.”
As Pina explained, the Algarve must adapt to these longer drought periods, which in the Algarve used to last between four and five years and is now up to eight.
This is why Pina has called for the region to unite towards carrying out the necessary investments, such as a connection between the Alqueva and Santa Clara dam systems in the Alentejo and Beliche-Odeleite in the Algarve.
However, taking water from Alqueva and transferring it to the Algarve is not the solution pitched by José Pedro Salema, president of the administration board of Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infraestruturas do Alqueva (EDIA).
Instead, the company in charge of the Alqueva dam believes that it should contribute with “knowledge and solutions” for nearby regions, adding that the focus should be on “national water resources that are owned by Portugal and are not located on an international river, which could pose diplomatic issues.”
Instead, options like the Monchique stream in the western Algarve, the Oeiras and Peres-Cobres streams in the Alentejo or the Vascão and Foupana streams in the eastern Algarve are suggested as options that could help provide additional water sources for the region.
Another solution involves creating new “water retention areas” (AKA dams and reservoirs) near streams like Almargem and Foupana, said Macário Correia, president of the Eastern Algarve Irrigation Association.
As the former mayor of Faro and Tavira underlined, these projects have been “talked about for decades” and would help agriculture in the region grow, helping develop the regional economy, exports, and employment.
Macário Correia also criticised the lack of action to reduce the 30% water losses in supply networks at a time when agriculture is subjected to cuts of up to 70% in the eastern Algarve.
The ‘Jornadas do Mundo Rural’ event is organised by the municipal councils of Alcoutim and Mértola and Associação Cumeadas to discuss key issues for the rural world, such as the importance of saving water, protecting ecosystems and landscapes, the climate and hunting, among others.
Source: LUSA
