The government is creating a group that will determine the strategy for ensuring water availability

The government has created a working group led by the president of Grupo Águas de Portugal, which will determine the country’s strategy for the effective management, storage and distribution of water.

On May 22, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro already announced in Faro the interministerial initiative “Water that unites us”, which will develop a new water strategy.

“The government has decided to establish a working group that, guided by a multi-sectoral vision, will complete this initiative by the end of 2024, creating a strategic framework for developing solutions and potential sources of public funding,” several ministries said in a statement. environment and agriculture.

Among these solutions is the National Water Supply Plan and an interconnected network of storage and efficient distribution of water for agriculture, which will be called REGA.

The working group, led by the president of Grupo Águas de Portugal, António Carmona Rodrigues, is responsible for developing the country’s strategy for the effective management, storage and distribution of water.

It will also include a member of the board of directors of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the director general of the Directorate General of Agriculture and Rural Development (DGARD) and the president of the board of directors of Alqueva Development and Infrastructure. Company (THIS DAY).

“This inter-ministerial cooperation in the management of Portugal’s water resources aims to promote better environmental protection, greater food security and sustainable economic development,” said Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho, quoted in the same note. .

The Minister also stated that, in her opinion, the “Water that unites us” strategy will provide an opportunity to create joint infrastructure and advanced technologies, as well as increase public awareness of water consumption.

For his part, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister José Manuel Fernandez defended the urgent need to move forward with investments in water storage and distribution.

“We are going to build an interconnected and efficient water supply network for agriculture. We cannot waste time or opportunities, as unfortunately happened with the government of António Costa, which provided 8.300 million euros in loans under the Recovery and Resilience Plan,” he concluded.

Last week, as part of his visit to the National Agricultural Fair, Luis Montenegro already announced that the government will approve this initiative in the Council of Ministers on Friday.

“This is a strategic planning project for this resource, aimed at improving its storage, its efficient use and the harmonization between all forms of use, be it for agriculture, tourism or human consumption,” he explained then.

Montenegro also highlighted the cooperation that takes place between the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment and Energy, noting that “as a result of the combined efforts of these two ministries, strategies are born that will solve real problems of people.”