Cristóvão Norte, Algarve deputy and president of the PSD/Algarve, argues that the Algarve did not go “from scarcity to abundance” of water, but “it is possible to mitigate the cuts a little”. The parliamentarian's position comes after it became known that the Permanent Committee for Prevention, Monitoring and Monitoring of the Effects of Drought will meet on May 10th, in Faro.
At this meeting, welcomed by the PSD/Algarve, new decisions on the management of water resources in the region will be coordinated.
«The consequences of the drought situation and the lack of water in the Algarve are a reality that could be very different, if there had been political priority in relation to this dossier on the part of the PS Government. This was not the case», accuse the Social Democrats, in a statement.
According to Cristóvão Norte, deputy and president of the PSD/Algarve, «those who govern can implement public investments and decisions of various natures, with a view to alleviating the problem. Even today, the people of the Algarve wonder why the connection to Pomarão, the Foupana Dam, the desalination plant or the demanding fight against the losses that occur in the urban water cycle, among others, has not yet been implemented.
Norte emphasizes that «today we are paying the price for apathy and political muteness. It is necessary to make up for lost time and take measures with a real impact on the future, but it is not easy to solve the problem overnight. Anyone who says otherwise is deceiving people.”
The previous government decided by resolution of the Council of Ministers to approve measures to increase prices, cuts and rationing and contingency measures.
The PSD Algarve recalls that «it said no to the increase in water prices and made the measure fall, as it was unfair, incomprehensible and unfounded and applied to all municipalities, even those that complied with ERSAR guidelines».
«The previous Government also approved a 25% cut in supply to the agricultural sector and 15% in urban supply, which revealed an inability to implement a global plan in which the needs for using water for multiple purposes are correlated with adequate capacities storage, promoting the coherent and efficient use of water, guaranteeing universal access», he adds.
According to Cristóvão Norte, «fortunately, the last two months have revealed an increase in precipitation in the Algarve, which has slightly alleviated the critical situation that the region is going through in terms of extreme drought».
«The measures in force put the maintenance of production at risk and cause damage to the profitability and survival of agricultural holdings and the employment associated with them», he adds.
«It is a fact that the Algarve did not go from scarcity to abundance. But it is also no less true that with reservoirs more composed – they reveal levels similar to the same period in 2023 – it is important to re-evaluate the cuts imposed on the agricultural sector, checking whether there are conditions to alleviate the impositions and guarantee more water for farmers to be able to produce. And it would be a very important decision for the sector and for the Algarve, which, if taken, must be taken with certainty, safety and without creating the conviction that the problem has been overcome, as it is not", he concluded.
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