The contracting of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the desalination plant is already underway, which “is in the project phase” in the Algarve, announced this Friday, the 22nd, the Minister of Environment and Climate Action.
Speaking at the press conference after the 10th meeting of the Permanent Commission for the Prevention, Monitoring and Monitoring of the Effects of Drought, which took place in Lisbon, Minister Duarte Cordeiro had already revealed that there will be a reduction in water consumption in tourist resorts in the Algarve.
The rationing agreed with the entrepreneurs should affect spaces that have a “large consumption of water”, such as golf courses and green spaces.
According to a note from the Ministries of the Environment and Agriculture released last night, «the Portuguese Environment Agency met with the associations of the Algarve tourist sector with the aim of promoting, in a collaborative way, the reduction of water consumption with the developments. tourism in the region, namely in the irrigation of golf courses and green spaces'.
The official added that, in the “structural measures underway in the Algarve with the implementation of the PRR”, under which 200 million euros will be invested to improve water efficiency, the “project to reinforce the supply and connection [of the dam] of Odeleite from Pomarão», on the Guadiana River.
According to the person responsible for the Environment portfolio, “financing is also open for water efficiency projects” to be implemented in the Algarve region, namely to stop the huge losses in public water supply networks.
Duarte Cordeiro also announced three measures to combat drought for the North region, two of them in Trás-os-Montes.
As for the Alentejo, the official announced that the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) “is finalizing the bases of the Water Efficiency Plan” for the region, a document that will later be handed over to the ministers of the Environment and Agriculture.
This Plan, according to Duarte Cordeiro, will contain “a set of very significant measures”, in terms of “reuse of water for use”, “dam connections” and “water efficiency in the Alentejo”.
The meeting of the Permanent Commission for the Prevention, Monitoring and Follow-up of the Effects of Drought was also attended by Maria do Céu Antunes, Minister of Agriculture and Food.
The joint communiqué, released last night, added that “the Regional Directorates of Agriculture and Fisheries have been monitoring the evolution of the state of agricultural needs. Despite the seriousness of the situation, today Portugal is better prepared in the agricultural sector, with regard to water storage and management. It is worth noting the case of Alqueva, with availability above 70% and connections to other reservoirs, which ensures the irrigation campaign in the region».
In addition, add the two ministries, «the consumption of water for irrigation has been reduced by 48% (data collected between 2002 and 2016) and currently 30% of the irrigated area uses information technology to support irrigation management, through probes of humidity measurement and meteorological data'.
In this context, a new notice (PDR2020) was opened yesterday to support Precision and Efficiency Agriculture in the use of resources with an allocation of 24,5 million euros and whose applications run until 30 September.
On the 27th of July, the notice for the Water Efficiency of the Mira Hydro-Agricultural Development and the new Pumping Station will also be opened, with an endowment of 30 million euros.
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