"It is not justified. And it is sending a signal contrary to what should be given at the beginning of the season when consumption is more intense", Afonso do Ó, a water specialist at the Nature Portugal Association (ANP), a national partner of the international "World Wide Fund for Nature" (WWF), told Lusa.

The measure announced by the Government also raises concerns for the Zero association, with Sara Correia citing the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) to say that the reserves only guarantee water until the end of the year.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, announced in Faro that the Government had decided to ease the restrictions imposed on water consumption in agriculture and the urban sector in the Algarve, including tourism, to cope with the drought in the region.

Luís Montenegro indicated that the executive will approve a "relief of about 20 cubic hectometres in the restriction that is currently in force in all areas of activity", with this value being distributed by "2.65 cubic hectometres of relief in urban consumption, 13.14 in relief in agricultural consumption and 4.17 in relief in consumption for tourism".

Easing the measures at the beginning of summer, without knowing what the coming months will be like, could put the region in a similar position to other years, said Sara Correia, expressing surprise that the Ministry of the Environment had supported the decision.

"We are not very surprised that the Ministry of Agriculture had this intention for the agricultural sector. But we are concerned that the Ministry of the Environment has given its approval, when until recently it said it was concerned about the situation", she said.

Despite the rain in winter, the Zero official stressed that there are no guarantees of water for the coming months, when summer is approaching and consumption is increasing.

Afonso do Ó also pointed out the future uncertainties to consider the Government's decision hasty and told Lusa that in the Algarve region in April there was almost no rain and in May, until today, "not a drop".

The ANP representative also stressed that the restrictions on consumption in agriculture would not result in the death of crops due to lack of water as long as there was rationalisation.

"From now until October we are in the dry and hot season and the decision announced was "political" and "technically poorly justified", said Afonso do Ó, regretting that every year the country enters the cycle of waiting for the sky to solve the problems of lack of water.

The official also considered that pointing out similar levels of reduction in supply for urban, agricultural and other uses goes against the prioritisation of uses enshrined in the Water Law, and that it is "environmentally irresponsible" to consider similar reductions for systems that are at 23% or double.

For Afonso do Ó, the Government's decision goes against the precautionary principle and "against the grain" of the most recent climate change scenarios.

According to official reservoir storage data, referring to 20 May, none of the reservoirs in the Arade, Ribeiras do Barlavento and Ribeiras do Sotavento basins exceeded 50% capacity.

Read Also: Praia da Conceição, em Cascais, interdita a banhos (Portuguese version)