This is how inhabitants of Ria Formosa’s Culatra island feel following the announcement of “a package of emergency measures to minimise the damages caused in various areas of Algarve coastline by recent storms”.
Nowhere even in the small print has there been any provision for the island living with the constant threat of property demolitions.
While millions of euros have already been spent destroying people’s lives, SOS Ria Formosa has “lamented” the fact that when issues are “really important and necessary, there is no money”.
In this case, the storms destroyed Culatra’s primary dune barrier. It is no secret. A statement released by the Culatra residents association has alerted “all the competent authorities”to the problem which, it considers, requires “urgent consolidation and sand replenishment”.
The association has even “presented solutions” on how this replenishment could be achieved – by using sand being dredged from the estuary at this precise moment.
But, as of time of writing, there has been no official response.
With the association “manifesting its concern and indignation”, it has nonetheless said it will wait a few more days in the expectation that powers that be will “reach a consensus and advance with an emergency intervention to guarantee the protection of people and property in time for the summer bathing season”.
Commentary over social media has highlighted two aspects of this latest situation on the island that has been battling for the rights of its inhabitants for years: the first that sand-replenishment is not a long-term solution, and the second that shameful decisions and situations in Portugal seem never-ending.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
