Drought: Government lifts restrictions on groundwater extraction in the Algarve

According to Maria da Graça Carvalho, the decision is a result of the “significant recovery” in seven bodies of groundwater, verified in the basins of the Barlavento and Sotavento rivers in the Algarve, the Arade basin, Luz de Tavira, São Brás de Alportel, Peral, Moncarapacho and São Bartolomeu.

According to the minister, the lifting of restrictions will cover an agricultural area of ​​around 60 thousand tares, leaving out the Querença/Silves aquifer, "which will maintain the restriction on collection because it has not recovered as much".

The revelation was made by Maria da Graça Carvalho at a press conference in Faro, after the signing of the protocol between the Portuguese Environment Agency ( APA ) and the Association of Beneficiaries of the Sotavento Irrigation Plan ( ABPRSA ) for the construction of the new Alportel Dam, as reported by Barlavento .

«There was a decision here after the mapping carried out by the APA and with which I agreed and which will become effective from today, after the meeting of the Drought Commission on water management in the Algarve, he highlighted.

Maria da Graça Carvalho also said that APA will “review upwards the titles for capturing groundwater throughout the Algarve in line with new plantations and also update the areas, which has not been done for a long time”.

However, he warned that the drought situation in the Algarve “will be reviewed at the next committee meeting, taking into account forecasts of a very hot summer”.

“This is a situation that is reviewed every two months and is being monitored and we will have to be very cautious,” he warned.

The governor recalled that retaining water in dams “is only very useful if it rains, because if there are many years without rain, extra care must be taken”.

However, he said, it is necessary to continue to combat waste and save water, maintaining the 5% restriction on water consumption for all sectors: urban, tourism, agriculture and golf.

According to Maria da Graça Carvalho, the Algarve's reservoirs currently have 372 cubic hectometres of water stored, which corresponds to 83% of their capacity, representing an increase of 196 cubic hectometres compared to the same month in 2024.

Photos: Bruno Filipe Pires