PAS, the Sustainable Water Platform, is urging the “entire population of the Algarve” to find out how the different political parties vying for power in the upcoming municipal elections plan to manage the region’s water resources.
At a point where the European Union is calling for “concrete policies” to tackle southern member states’ water shortages – and as the government announces 100% funding for ‘efficient water management’ – PAS focuses on the situation right now in the Algarve.
“The recently released news about the signing, on September 24 of a protocol between the Environmental Fund and the Management Authority of the Algarve 2030 Water Cycle (PO), will allow 100% funding for projects to be carried out in the Algarve aimed at more efficient management of the Urban Water Cycle”, says the platform.
“The priority announced by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça de Carvalho, of promoting more efficient management – reducing losses and saline intrusion in distribution and drainage networks, increasing water reuse, and monitoring water resources and water supply and sanitation systems – coincides with measures that have been advocated by the PAS since its inception.
“However, considering the 5,668 km of depleted water supply pipelines and the indicators mentioned in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) for the Algarve: €44 million of investment planned to reduce water losses by 125 km (2% of the network); the €100 million now announced – even if only applied to reducing water losses – will only allow interventions on approximately 284 km of the network (5%).
“In other words, even if the funds now announced were exclusively earmarked for water loss reduction – and there was no “leakage” of projects of this type from the PRR to the Algarve 2030 PO, only a maximum of 7% of the network will be intervened.
“The situation could be significantly improved if absolute priority were given to this type of intervention rather than insisting on the construction of new equipment and infrastructure”, PAS continues (making no mention of the infrastructure/s with which it does not agree, for multiple environmental reasons).
“Therefore, it can be said that this 100% financing initiative for this type of project is a first step, but it must be followed by many others to achieve consistent and effective results in this area.
“Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that – as is publicly known – the main limitation to the execution of loss reduction and water reuse projects is the political will of municipalities, not their financing.
“In this context, and considering that effective water management is crucial for the future of the Algarve, PAS urges the government to create mechanisms that enable concrete results to be achieved and maintained in these areas, namely:
1. Establishing clear indicators and targets to be achieved after the interventions to be carried out, at least defining the maximum percentage of water losses in the networks and the minimum percentage of water reuse;
2. Implementation of an effective monitoring and inspection system to detect deficiencies and identify appropriate funding lines to resolve any problems that may arise;
3. Creation and application of an incentive system that benefits those who comply, namely by prioritising municipalities that meet the targets referred to in point 1 in terms of access to public funds.
“Finally, given the proximity of the local elections and the importance of water for our collective future, we call on the entire population of the Algarve to find out about the positions of the various candidates on the actions they intend to take to ensure the effective management of water resources in their municipalities”, says the entity that has been campaigning consistently for water management policies that do not compromise the environment.
Source: PAS Sustainable Water Platform press release September 29, 2025
