In a statement sent to Lusa, the Sustainable Terrestrial System Association (Zero) expressed its disapproval of the project to reinforce the water supply in the Algarve from the water intake solution in Pomarão, arguing that the increase in supply "cannot be destined for unsustainable consumption".

The environmentalists emphasize that "all future scenarios point to a continuous reduction in annual precipitation values, reinforcing the need to invest in a long-term strategy based on solutions aimed at greater efficiency in the use of available water".

The project foresees the capture of surface water in the estuarine zone of the Guadiana River, near the town of Mesquita, upstream of Pomarão, in the municipality of Mértola (Alentejo), and the construction of a pipeline to the Odeleite reservoir, in the municipality of Castro Marim (Algarve).

The water intake in Pomarão is one of the measures defined in the Algarve Regional Water Efficiency Plan, for which 61.5 million euros are foreseen from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) 2021-2026.

The routes of the adductor pipeline present three alternatives (the first with two variants), which run through the municipalities of Mértola (Beja), Alcoutim and Castro Marim (Faro), in a total length of pipelines that varies between 37 and 41 kilometers, depending on the route alternative.

According to Zero, the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) of the project, whose public consultation ended last Monday, "devalues the possible transboundary impacts of the project", which should be negotiated with Spain, within the scope of the Albufeira Convention between the two Iberian countries.

"Any progress without prior negotiation will put the project in a position of illegality, similar to what already happens with the Boca-Chança intake, carried out by Spain, located downstream of the planned location for the Pomarão water intake," warn the environmentalists.

The water intake in Pomarão is one of the measures foreseen in the Algarve Regional Water Efficiency Plan, for which 200 million euros from the PRR are destined, in addition to the future desalination plant, the production of water for reuse and the reduction of water losses in the urban sector.

The Algarve has been on drought alert since February 5, and the previous government approved a set of consumption restriction measures, namely a 15% reduction in the urban sector, including tourism, and 25% in agriculture.

On Tuesday, the current government admitted to easing water consumption cuts in the region, in the urban sector and in agriculture, with several scenarios on the table, revealed the Minister of the Environment, after a meeting of the Southern Zone Regional Subcommittee of the Reservoir Management Commission.

On the occasion, Maria da Graça Carvalho announced that the government's decision on this matter will be announced at the next meeting of the Standing Commission for Prevention, Monitoring and Monitoring of the Effects of Drought, to be held by May 10, in Faro.

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