The Algarve Intermunicipal Community - AMAL - have begun the process to connect Alqueva to the Algarve, to resolve water shortages, with support from the Ministry of the Environment.
The process will enable one of the region’s oldest and most strategic aspirations to be fulfilled: bringing water from the Alqueva dam to the Algarve. The first technical meeting with the company responsible for drawing up the specifications has already taken place, officially marking the start of this crucial stage.
With this initiative, AMAL is taking the first concrete step towards a structural solution to combat water scarcity, a problem that has a cyclical and worrying impact on the Algarve. The specifications must be submitted within 40 days, allowing for the launch of a public tender for the preparation of the technical project and, subsequently, the execution of the connection works between Alqueva and the Algarve dams.
Under the Iberian Agreement signed in 2023, it was established that Portugal could capture 60 cubic hectometres of water from the Guadiana River. Half of this amount was intended to reinforce the water system of the Sotavento Algarve, through the connection to Pomarão, while the remaining 30 hectometres would remain retained in Alqueva. However, the retention of this portion has made it impossible to reinforce the reserves in the Barlavento, worsening the effects of the drought in that area.
Faced with the impasse, AMAL decided to move forward proactively with the process, providing technical support to the company responsible for preparing the specifications. The technical project, with an estimated value of over 600,000 euros, already has the commitment of the Ministry of the Environment to ensure its financing.
These first advances allow AMAL to anticipate the launch of the public tender during the current year, with the aim of accelerating the implementation of a structural solution that could guarantee greater water security for the Algarve in a context of climate change and increasing water scarcity.
Source https://postal.pt/
