The Minister of Agriculture and the Sea, José Manuel Fernandes, visited on 28 August the modernization works of the Alvor Hydro-Agricultural Development, in the Alvor-Bravura Irrigation Perimeter, in the Algarve. This intervention, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan through the Algarve regional chapter, represents an investment of approximately 15 million euros and is considered by CCDR Algarve to be the largest irrigation modernization project currently underway in the region. The visit was attended by various entities, including the president of CCDR Algarve, José Apolinário, the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, José Eduardo Reis, the mayors of Portimão and Lagos, and the president of the Alvor Irrigators and Beneficiaries Association, Joaquim Messias Calado.
The works aim to reduce water losses in the distribution system and promote more efficient use of water resources. José Manuel Fernandes estimated that, after the completion of the interventions, it will be possible to save approximately 60% of the water used in the system, equivalent to approximately 19 million cubic meters per year and annual savings close to two million euros. The first phase includes the construction of a new reservoir, a pumping station and a filtration station, as well as the modernization of approximately two kilometers of the main carrier channel through the installation of closed pipelines. The project also includes an energy efficiency component, through the installation of photovoltaic panels to support the operation of the pumping station.
The Alvor Hydro-Agricultural Development is associated with the Bravura Dam, built in 1958, and serves a perimeter initially designed for approximately 1,800 hectares, involving hundreds of beneficiaries. The modernization represents a profound transformation of an infrastructure almost seven decades old, seeking to adapt it to current demands for water, energy and environmental efficiency. During the visit, the minister confirmed the intention to proceed with a second phase of modernization, estimated at approximately 40 million euros, aimed at continuing the intervention and increasing the efficiency gains of the system.
The intervention is part of a broader strategy for water resource management in the Algarve and is linked to the national strategy "Water that Unites". José Manuel Fernandes argued that the response to water challenges must combine storage, efficiency and interconnection of systems, ensuring water for different uses, including human consumption, agriculture, industry, tourism, environment and civil protection. CCDR Algarve considered that the investment demonstrates the importance of a territorialized approach to European funds in addressing the challenges of water efficiency and climate change.
