The Council of Ministers yesterday approved a budget of 26,65 million euros for the adoption of efficiency measures and increased water availability in the Algarve, to respond to the “alert situation” caused by the drought in the region.
This amount is part of a package of measures to combat drought provided for in two resolutions that were approved by the Government in the Council of Ministers and which also provide for an amount of 200 million euros for exceptional support for farmers, 100 of which are destined specifically for producers in the Algarve and the Southwest.
“The current situation in the Algarve requires the application of extraordinary measures and actions that promote greater efficiency, savings and rationalization of water reserves (surface and underground)”, explained the ministries of Environment and Climate Action and Agriculture and Food, in a statement set.
The resolutions approved by the Council of Ministers place the Algarve in an “alert situation” due to drought and “attribute support for extraordinary measures with an indicative budget allocation of 26,65 million euros”, said the Government.
This amount includes 12,4 million euros for public water supply, 10 million euros for tourism, 350 thousand euros for agriculture and 2,9 million euros for management, monitoring and inspection of water resources, he specified.
“The previous budget allocation concerns investments related to the capture of dead volume from the Odelouca and Arade dams, new underground collections for public supply, water efficiency in the tourism sector and awareness campaigns for water saving”, he clarified.
Among the measures approved is “immediately restricting the use of water in urban consumption and in the tourism and agricultural sectors”, by reducing water pressure in the public supply network, suspending the use of public or drinking water in watering green spaces and gardens, ornamental fountains, artificial lakes, washing pavements, public spaces and vehicles and compacting roadways.
The use of reused water will also have to be promoted and “the suspension of the supply of water from the public network through water use meters that do not generate wastewater (known as 'irrigation meters')”, he indicated.
The Government also determined that an “evaluation and, if necessary, implementation of extraordinary complementary solutions for the transport and availability of water for public supply” be carried out, such as the use of mobile desalination units or the transport of water through various routes.
The review of downward water supply tariffs, for domestic and non-domestic users, as well as for uses that do not generate wastewater, in accordance with the guidelines of the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Entity (ERSAR), is also included in the approved measures.
“Financial compensations were also established, in 2024 and 2025, for the entities managing hydro-agricultural developments in the Algarve region, in the amount of 2.242.000 euros”, according to the statement.
The resolutions also cover other measures for agriculture, such as a 40% reduction, compared to 2023, in the volume transferred from the Funcho dam to the Arade reservoir, a 50% reduction in the volume consumed in the leeward irrigation perimeter, or the “ suspension of the granting of new titles relating to abstractions in the 22 underground water bodies (critical state)”, he explained.
On the other hand, underground abstractions for survival irrigation are authorized: in Sotavento, up to a maximum limit of 2,5 hm3/year, with the possibility of increasing to 4,5 hm3/year; in Alvor, up to a maximum limit of 0,5 hm3/year; and, in the West sector, up to a maximum limit of 0,5 hm3/year.
Revision of downward water supply tariffs, for domestic and non-domestic users, as well as for uses that do not generate wastewater, in accordance with ERSAR guidelines.
All approved measures:
• Recognize the alert situation in the Algarve region, due to drought;
• Determine the allocation of support for extraordinary measures with an indicative budget allocation of 26,65 million euros, distributed as follows:
a) Public water supply: 12,4 million euros;
b) Tourism: 10 million euros;
c) Agriculture: 0,35 million euros;
d) Management, monitoring and inspection of water resources: 2,9 million euros.
• The previous budget allocation concerns investments related to the capture of dead volume from the Odelouca and Arade dams, new underground collections for public supply, water efficiency in the tourism sector and awareness campaigns for water saving.
• Restrict the use of water in urban consumption and in the tourism and agricultural sectors, immediately, with the adoption, among others, of the following measures:
a) Reduce water pressure in the public supply network;
b) Suspend the use of public or drinking water for watering green spaces, public and private gardens, ornamental fountains, artificial lakes, washing pavements, public places and vehicles and for compacting roadways;
c) Promote the use of water for reuse in the previous cases;
d) Suspension of public water supply through water use meters that do not generate wastewater (known as “irrigation meters”);
e) Assessment and, if necessary, implementation of extraordinary complementary solutions for transporting and making water available for public supply, namely mobile desalination units and water transport via different routes;
f) Revision of downward water supply tariffs, for domestic and non-domestic users, as well as for uses that do not generate wastewater, in accordance with ERSAR guidelines;
• Determine that each municipal user is limited to the value corresponding to 85% of the volume registered in the same period of 2023.
• Provide a tariff for consumption that exceeds the limit stipulated in the previous measure.
• Impose a set of restrictions on the use of water in urban consumption and in the tourism and agricultural sectors.
• Strengthen supervision.
• Update contingency plans in collective irrigation, providing for the suspension of new irrigated areas.
• Determine the temporary and urgent review of titles for the use of water resources issued for the capture of surface water, in order to:
a) Reduce by 40% the volume transferred from the Funcho reservoir to the Arade reservoir, compared to the previous year;
b) Reduce the volume of water consumed in the Sotavento Algarvio irrigation perimeter by 50%, compared to 2023;
c) Limit the use of water stored in the Bravura reservoir to public supply only, with temporary suspension of usage permits for other uses.
• Suspend the granting of new titles relating to abstractions in the 22 underground water bodies (critical state), with the exception of resilience abstractions in the irrigation perimeters of Sotavento do Algarve and Alvor and abstractions intended for animal watering on licensed farms and which do not have a more sustainable alternative.
• Determine the temporary and urgent review of all titles for groundwater abstraction with a 15% reduction in the titled volume.
• Authorize underground abstractions for survival irrigation: in Sotavento, up to a maximum limit of 2,5 hm3/year, with the possibility of increasing to 4,5 hm3/year; in Alvor, up to a maximum limit of 0,5 hm3/year; and, in the West sector, up to a maximum limit of 0,5 hm3/year.
• Define, through the General Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development (DGADR), reference values for survival irrigation for permanent crops.
• Determine that, when reviewing usage titles, when they establish a maximum monthly volume equal to or greater than 5 m000, the obligation to include means of direct measurement of the volumes of water extracted and fortnightly reporting of the volumes captured.
• Define the support to be allocated to the agricultural sector and the respective allocation to compensate for water use restriction measures in this sector, mobilizing exceptional support to minimize the effects of the drought, for the years 2024 and 2025, up to the amount of €200M ( 100M€/year), divided into 2 axes:
a) Specific support for the Algarve and Southwest Alentejo region of 100 million euros;
b) State aid notified at national level (2024 and 2025);
• Establish financial compensation, in 2024 and 2025, for entities managing hydro-agricultural developments in the Algarve region, in the amount of 2.242.000 euros.
• Determine that appropriate measures are ensured, including statutory ones, in order to provide EDIA – Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infraestruturas do Alqueva, SA, with the necessary skills to promote and manage the centralized acquisition procedure of desalinated water for recharge of the Bravura and Santa Clara reservoirs.
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