Summary:
APA issued a conditional favorable environmental impact declaration for water extraction from the Guadiana River.
The project is part of the Algarve Regional Water Efficiency Plan with a budget of €61.5 million.
A 40-kilometer underground pipeline will direct water back to the Odeleite reservoir.
An agreement between Portugal and Spain regarding the project will be finalized on September 26.
Local opposition arises from CIMBAL and environmental groups due to concerns over desertification and water scarcity.
Portuguese Environment Agency Greenlights Water Extraction for Algarve
The Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) has issued a conditional favorable environmental impact declaration for the extraction of water from the Guadiana River in Pomarão, a village in Mértola, to support the water supply for the Algarve region. This decision follows a 30-day public consultation period regarding the preliminary study of the project.
Project Details
This initiative, part of the Algarve Regional Water Efficiency Plan, is budgeted at approximately €61.5 million and is financed through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). The project includes the construction of a 40-kilometer underground pipeline to channel water back to the Odeleite reservoir in Castro Marim, Faro district.
The APA states that the goal of this project is to ensure an effective ecological flow regime and to enhance the available capacity of the reservoir, with collaboration between Portugal and Spain. However, the licensing and implementation of the project will only take place after the environmental compliance decision for the execution project is issued.
Upcoming Agreements
On August 6, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, announced that Portugal and Spain will finalize an agreement regarding the water extraction in Pomarão on September 26 in Madrid.
Local Opposition
On July 9, the Intermunicipal Community of Baixo Alentejo (CIMBAL), representing 13 out of 14 municipalities in Beja district, expressed its opposition to the water extraction, demanding that the project also benefits the local population. CIMBAL highlighted that Mértola is one of the regions most vulnerable to desertification and is facing severe water scarcity and heightened hydric stress, worsened by prolonged droughts. Environmental organizations such as Zero and the Sustainable Water Platform (PAS) have also criticized the project.
In response to the water extraction initiative, the Environment and Energy Ministry requested a plan from the APA to ensure a regular supply of potable water to the Espírito Santo parish, where Pomarão is located.
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