Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho will travel to the Algarve on 30 October to sign off two agreements: One is meant to bolster flood prevention in Faro; the other will study alternatives for treating the region’s municipal waste. The signatories will include the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), Faro Town Hall, and the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL).
Under the first agreement, the APA will give Faro Town Hall expert support in drawing up a flood prevention plan. The work should pinpoint the measures needed to cut the risk of flooding in the city, and lay the groundwork for securing a bid to the Sustentável 2030 programme, in the hope of securing European funding to deliver the proposed solutions.
The aim is to better protect people and property, whilst improving the city’s ability to cope with extreme weather over the coming years. The minister has previously noted that Faro is one of the parts of the Algarve most prone to flooding, and has singled out Albufeira as another critical area needing priority work.
“We want to press ahead with the projects needed to reduce these risks, tap the funding available and give people and their property greater protection,” Carvalho said.
The second protocol, between the APA and AMAL, provides for in-depth studies to identify the best technological solutions for treating and recovering value from the Algarve’s municipal waste. National scientific and academic bodies will take part, and the work will weigh up possible sites for future facilities.
The analysis will consider the environmental, economic, and territorial impact of each option, as well as expected waste growth and the technologies on offer. Among the goals are less waste going to landfill, more recovery, and meeting national and European circular economy targets.
According to figures released by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Algarve produces around 436,000 tonnes of municipal waste a year, with roughly 85% ending up in landfill. Daily output averages 2.4 kilograms per person, well above the national average of 1.4 kilograms. This anomaly is largely attributed to the Algarve’s yo-yo population, with numbers bouncing up over the summer months due to the many thousands of tourists visiting the region on a temporary basis.
Carvalho argues that the region needs a lasting answer. “The numbers show we cannot go on relying on landfill as the main destination for municipal waste,” she said, calling for scientific knowledge and international experience to be put to work on a solution that fits the Algarve.
Together, the two protocols should allow necessary planning and technical assessment to move ahead. Delivering the work they identify, however, depends on the later stages of each project and, in Faro’s case, on securing funding.
Source: LUSA
Photo credit: LUSA
