Government eases water restrictions in Algarve

The government decided this Wednesday to ease restrictions imposed on water consumption in the Algarve’s agricultural and urban sectors, including tourism, to combat drought in the region, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro announced in Faro.

“The Government has decided to repeal Resolution 26A 2024 on 20 February and a further resolution will be approved and published in the coming weeks which aims to continue the responsibility policy but nevertheless ease the restrictions currently in place. compared to the situation in 2023,” the Prime Minister said after a meeting of the drought monitoring committee in Faro.

Luis Montenegro reported that the executive would approve “the lifting of the restriction of approximately 20 cubic hectometers that currently applies in all areas of activity,” distributing this amount to “2.65 cubic hectometers of urban consumption relief, out of 13.14 cubic hectometers of relief in urban consumption”. agricultural consumption and 4.17 facilitating consumption for tourism.”

In February, the previous government led by António Costa declared a drought emergency in the Algarve and implemented contingency measures that included a 25% reduction in consumption in agriculture and 15% in the urban sector.

This Wednesday, Luis Montenegro announced the easing of these restrictions, although he emphasized the need to conserve water as much as possible, which is a “scarce resource” in the region.

“Here there is greater relief in the field of agriculture, because in this area there were also greater restrictions compared to the situation in 2023,” he said, justifying the government’s decision with the rains that have fallen in recent months and the improved overall forecast for water reserves in the region .

Montenegro also stated that these data represent “compared to 2023, a reduction in availability of 10% in urban consumption and 13% in agricultural and tourism consumption.”

“We are taking this measure aware of the development of the hydrological situation, which has been positive in recent months, aware that water is a scarce resource that must be protected, conserved and managed effectively, aware that maintaining this policy also implies increased investment,” In addition to all monitoring “, which we held today and which we will hold in August next year, will precisely sum up the results of the measures that we are now going to take,” the government official said.

Luís Montenegro warned that the drought situation still persists and there is a need to conserve water resources, given that the government’s decision was taken from the point of view of “increasing in Portugal and in the most problematic areas, such as the Algarve region, the level of improving the efficiency of water use” and promoting “more responsible consumption”.

The Prime Minister also said there was a need to “reduce waste from different uses of water” and resort to using wastewater where the source is viable, such as golf, ensuring the government’s aim is also to promote investment that “can help.” towards this more efficient management of water resources.