The Sustainable Water Platform (PAS) disagrees with the construction of the desalination plant, new dams and plans for “Water Capture in the Guadiana” as responses to the issue of water scarcity in the Algarve.
PAS says that «it has analyzed official data and proposals, namely those from the PIACC (Intermunicipal Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change) and PREHA (Regional Water Efficiency Plan for the Algarve), examining the state of aquifers, the role and impact of new dams, the reuse of wastewater, the relationship between consumption/method of production/agricultural activity, the economic and environmental impacts of desalination, among others».
In a statement, PAS sees with “great concern the adoption of inappropriate measures, supported by public and private investment policies, which do not adjust to the guidelines and objectives of environmental policies”.
“What is the official strategy? What is the expected response from desalination plants to present and future needs?», asks PAS.
Even with the fact that the Government has already tripled the capacity of the desalination plant, «a high cost to obtain water through this means» continues to be registered – 45 million euros, in a first phase, according to Público.
According to data from PREHA, the agriculture sector spends 135 million cubic meters annually, representing 57% of the total volume of water accounted for in the Algarve (the urban sector consumes 34% and the golf sector 6%; we asked – how many power plants desalination facilities will have to be built to supply agriculture?).
«Furthermore, desalination is coupled with social discrimination – official officials have systematically reaffirmed that water from dams, funded by public money, is intended for private agricultural use, and will be sold at a lower price than that obtained through desalination, destined for public consumption, but coming from a private company or in a public-private partnership. How, then, will the rights to access this fundamental resource of life be guaranteed?” asks the PAS.
The State has also suggested the construction of new dams and the “Water Capture in the Guadiana” solution.
However, «these proposals are in contradiction with the Water Framework Directive, the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (ENAAC), the National Water Plan (PNA) and the National Risk Assessment, because they have strong impacts, including a decrease in the flow of the rivers, with impacts on the catchment site and on the downstream ecosystems», argues the PAS.
In the case of the Guadiana, the «downstream part is part of the Natura 2000 Network and an increase in salinity at the catchment site is foreseeable, as a result of the decrease in rainfall that is registered in the south of the country».
«In addition, the Guadiana River is a cross-border river, so the impacts will reach Portugal and Spain, so it will also have to be discussed with the neighboring Member State and the local population affected. To increase the disagreement, the Study “Regadio 2030” proposed expanding the irrigated area in the Algarve and Alentejo, something we disagreed with in the opinion we presented in the public consultation that ended on January 14, 2022. How to explain this expansion, in the face of water scarcity? What is the short, medium and long term strategy?».
Thus, the PAS considers that the diversification of water sources «should be done through the use of river and treated wastewater», disagrees with the construction of the desalination plant, the "Water Capture in the Guadiana", or the construction of dams, because, “in addition to the well-known environmental impacts, the increase in temperature/evaporation and the decrease in rainfall will make the volume of water to be stored smaller and smaller”.
The Platform suggests, for example, the restoration and rehabilitation of water lines, taking into account the deviations made, obsolete dams and the effects of fires or the capture and storage of rainwater in buildings, with official entities to set an example (« roof terraces/cisterns are still a tradition in the Algarve)».
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