The government is set to invest €52.5 million in rivers and streams across the Algarve and Alentejo under ‘Pró-Rios’, a national ecological restoration programme, it was announced on Monday, 12th January.
‘Pró-Rios’ has been highlighted as being of great importance by the current government, aiming to reduce flood risk and restore biodiversity in degraded habitats, ultimately enhancing the value and safety of land around Portugal’s waterways for local communities.
The programme was presented in Lisbon at a session chaired by the Minister for the Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, who revealed that a total of €187 million will be allocated to these works across the country, with the figure of €52.5 million earmarked specifically for projects in the Algarve and Alentejo, she explained, calling for speed in the submission and delivery of projects.
At the same session, Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environment Agency, revealed that of the 1,834 surface water bodies on the mainland, more than half fail to achieve ‘good’ ecological status.
He added that more than 100,000 people live in flood-risk areas across over 100 municipalities.
According to estimates presented at the session, around 1,000 kilometres of rivers and streams will be restored through more than 80 interventions nationwide.
The Environment Minister opined that for many years, in Portugal as in other countries, rivers have been pushed to the brink of “ecological collapse”, having been channelled, covered over, and used as outlets for waste discharges.
She noted that during the floods in Valencia in 2024, which claimed more than 200 lives, the fact that rivers were confined within artificial channels ultimately worsened the impact.
One strand of the programme will therefore focus on areas at high risk of flooding, such as Faro, Albufeira, and Tavira. Interventions are also planned for Lisbon and Algés, alongside other smaller-scale projects.
With the flood-risk map now completed and published, “the process of identifying the most urgent cases, namely obsolete barriers and opportunities for river renaturalisation, will be carried out region by region”, she explained.
All interventions are expected to be completed by 2029. The most complex works, in Lisbon and Algés (Oeiras), are already at a more advanced stage, while renaturalisation projects can be carried out in roughly a year.
The minister highlighted that collaboration with universities and environmental organisations will be essential, stressing that the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) cannot deliver the programme on its own.
Last year alone, €14 million was invested in 68 river interventions, she revealed, adding that ‘Pró-Rios’ is aligned with the ‘Água que Une’ (Water that Unites) strategy, the National Restoration Plan (currently being drawn up), and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.
Looking ahead, Carvalho stated that at the next Iberian summit, to be held at the end of the month in the Huelva region, an agreement will be signed on dredging the River Minho and restoring its banks, as the high levels of sand currently make crossing difficult.
She concluded that making up for lost time in river management, nature restoration, coastal protection, and the “extremely serious” waste situation will define the environmental agenda for this year.
Source: LUSA
