The way that the Algarve tackled its “worst drought ever” has sparked the interest of institutions in California
Institutions in the drought-prone state of California in the USA are looking to learn from the Algarve about how it dealt with its “worst drought ever.”
“We had a meeting with institutions in California so that they could understand the work we had done in managing the drought in the Algarve, which was exemplary,” said José Carlos Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA).
He told Lusa news agency that the Algarve’s tackling of its drought was “highly praised in Brussels” but emphasised that the merit lies “with the urban sectors, tourism and agriculture, which taught the country a lesson”.
Pimenta Machado underlined that the drought led to “very restrictive measures”, including a government resolution calling on cities to reduce water consumption by 10% and 3% in tourism and agriculture.
“This shows a lot about the general population’s awareness of water and drought,” the APA boss stated.
Despite Portugal’s unstable political situation, with elections scheduled for May 18, Pimenta Machado believes there is a “certain consensus among pollical parties, but also in society, about the path Portugal has taken” regarding drought and water management.
According to APA data on the Algarve’s dams, the Bravura dam is currently at 56% of its capacity, when in December it was at 11%, and the Arade dam is at 59%, when a few months ago it was the only one in the country below 10%.
Pimenta Machado said that after “the driest year ever”, Portugal has had “a blessing from St Peter”, with six storms since the beginning of 2025, including the Jana depression in March, which mainly affected the south of the country.
“We multiplied the water we had last year by almost four times” in the Algarve’s dams, which currently have reserves for almost three years of consumption, the president of the APA told Lusa.
However, Pimenta Machado warns that the Algarve must still “strengthen the resilience” of its water supply and cited a plan to double the capacity of the pipeline connecting the two eastern dams to the four western dams to “increase the flexibility of the system’s management”.
He added that another priority is to use wastewater that has already passed through a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for uses that don’t involve human consumption.
“It doesn’t make sense to use the water we drink to water gardens or golf courses. It makes no sense at all,” emphasised Pimenta Machado.
The APA president was speaking on the sidelines of the Macau 2025 International Forum and Exhibition on Environmental Cooperation, which began on Thursday and runs until Saturday.
