At issue is the approval of “joint measures to face the drought period that the region is going through” and which bring together “more than a dozen other contingency measures, previously approved at the meeting promoted by the Portuguese Environment Agency [APA] , on the 24th of February”, and which “are already on the ground” or “will now begin to be implemented”, said AMAL in a statement.

“The reduction in the irrigation of green spaces, with high water needs (aiming at the subsequent conversion of these spaces with species that require less frequent irrigation), the reuse of wastewater for non-potable uses (such as washing streets and containers) and the promotion of awareness campaigns for the need for the rational use of water, are measures that all the municipalities in the Algarve are already or will soon implement in their territories”, said AMAL.

The same source said that, “in addition to these measures, of a global nature, a survey of solutions to be adopted locally was also carried out, considering the specificities of each of the 16 municipalities, whose implementation will take place this month”.

Water restrictions

After the meeting held in February with the APA, the president of the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve (AMAL), António Pina, revealed to Lusa that the dams in the western Algarve would preserve water reserves to guarantee human consumption for two years and limit its use for irrigation of green spaces, golf or agriculture.

The president of AMAL considered at the time that the drought in the Algarve “is more serious in the windward [west] than in the leeward [east]” and explained that, given this situation, “measures would be taken” to “ensure” that the windward [west] has “the amount of water needed for human supply, if it doesn't rain for two years”.