Drought in Portugal: Algarve farmers on alert, environmentalists call for combat strategies
As the drought worsens, concerns about the future of crops in the country increase. In the Algarve, farmers are complaining about the region to combat a problem of sight in the water that has been debated for decades. For environmentalists, there is a lack of immediate strategies to combat waste and ways to retain water in the soils.
In this orange orchard in the Algarve, the fruit is not a sign of water and losses for those who have yet to produce.
Without water, the size of the oranges is smaller and, therefore, yields less. Permanent irrigation is added to the bills, which at this point is expensive.
There has been a lot of talk about solving water in the Algarve and also about plans to combat the problem.
About 70% of the Algarve depends on aquifers that have water recharge rates below 20%.
An alarming situation that everyone knows.
For avocado plantations, water is not an issue at this stage of harvest, but it could be in the coming months.
Algarve farmers are asking for solutions such as a new dam, wastewater treatment and more investment in weirs to retain more water in the region.
Environmental associations must be alert to this need, but do not forget the weight
what agriculture has on water consumption and habits that must be compensated across the country.
The rain forecast for this Sunday, mainly for Minho and Douro Litoral, is low and will not help to solve the drought installed in the country. And it is not scheduled for the month of February.