The controversial mega-project of Cidade Lacustre, in Vilamoura (Loulé), which has been strongly contested by environmental associations and which has even inspired the creation of a citizens' movement to fight against its execution, is again under public consultation until the 21st of May.
This new consultation period follows the suspension of the project's environmental impact assessment, decreed by the Algarve's Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) in September, due to negative impacts on the environment.
The promoters of Cidade Lacustre, a mega-development of 57,4 hectares, with residences, tourist beds, restaurants and up to four lake areas, had six months to reformulate the project, so that it would meet the requirements of the CCDR , entity that justified the suspension of the EIA with the fact that there are "important gaps in the rationale and negative impacts identified in different environmental factors, such as the archaeological cultural heritage, landscape, biodiversity, territory, socio-economics, geotechnics or climate change".
Anyone who wants to know about the changed project and possibly contribute, can do it online, on the Participa.pt website, until the 21st.
The Cidade Lacustre de Vilamoura project was much contested by environmental associations and citizens, namely the Almargem Association, which has been at the forefront of the fight against this undertaking.
In the previous public consultation, which also took place in September last year, a few weeks before the suspension of the AIA, the association based in the municipality of Loulé was one of those that officially challenged the project, presenting its position.
At the time, Anabela Santos, leader of the association, told the Sul Informação that the project, in his view, is «an attack and the replication of past mistakes».
«It is not clear how we still want to do projects of this type. It's another megalomaniac venture, in an area where it doesn't make any sense. Right now that the issue of climate change is so on the table», he accused.
Almargem, which has already advertised on its Facebook page the opening of a new public consultation period for Cidade Lacustre, continues to pay attention to the development of the project, but will not be alone.
Also on the social network Facebook, a movement entitled “For the Ribeira de Quarteira – Against the Lake City”, which has hundreds of members.
«The “Cidade Lacustre” or “Vilamoura Lakes” is an environmental attack and a fierce attack on the sustainability of the Algarve region. It is not possible to allow a project thought to the reality of 1999 to move forward now (based on obsolete plans created in a hurry to escape the ban on construction along the coast), on a planet on the brink of environmental and social collapse, with the climate emergency, the destruction of biodiversity and habitats is the order of the day», said the movement, in a statement sent to Sul Informação, In September.
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