A new €3.2 million package of funding for the rehabilitation of the coastline and waterways will benefit eight Algarve municipalities affected by severe weather at the beginning of this year, the Government announced today, 12 August.
In total, the Ministry of Environment and Energy will spread between the country’s municipalities a cash injection of around €4.2 million, available for a new series of projects to rehabilitate areas affected by the succession of severe weather events that hit Portugal in early 2026, causing drastic flooding, landslides, rockfalls, damage to waterways, and widespread coastal destruction.
Of the total, €1 million will be allocated to dredging at the mouth of the River Mondego, while almost €3.2 million will go to 23 municipalities for restoration work along crucial waterways and the coastline.
In the Algarve, the municipalities benefiting from the post-storm support funding are Albufeira, Alcoutim, Aljezur, Castro Marim, Lagoa, Lagos, Portimão, and Silves, the ministry said in a statement.
“The interventions form part of the Government’s response to the damage caused by the adverse weather conditions that affected different regions of the country and complement the support already mobilised for areas covered by disaster and contingency declarations,” the statement said.
Following Storm Kristin on 28 January and the severe weather that followed throughout February, the Government introduced a series of exceptional measures to support the recovery of affected areas. These include the reconstruction and rehabilitation of environmental assets, as well as emergency works on environmental infrastructure.
“This will be one of the final groups of municipalities to begin receiving support from the Environmental Fund for the recovery and rehabilitation of coastline, waterways, and water resources affected by the severe weather of 2026,” the ministry said.
The funding is intended to address “the damage identified” by municipalities and the relevant authorities, and to “allow priority interventions to proceed” as part of the recovery of affected areas.
“It is essential to complete the recovery of the affected areas. That was the commitment we made from the outset: to be on the ground, work closely with municipalities and ensure that the needs identified receive a concrete response tailored to the reality of each area,” Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho said, according to the statement.
According to Carvalho, the past few months have involved “an assessment of the damage and the definition of priority interventions, taking into account the specific characteristics of the affected areas”. This work has now made it possible to move forward with “the implementation of these measures and continue the recovery process”.
Source: LUSA
Photo credit: Archive image
