The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the future Foupana dam, planned for the municipalities of Alcoutim and Castro Marim, in the Faro district, is in public consultation until October 12. The infrastructure, designed for the Foupana stream, integrated in the Guadiana river basin, is promoted by the Association of Beneficiaries of the Irrigation Plan of the Sotavento do Algarve (ABPRSA). The project includes the construction of the dam, a connection tunnel to the Odeleite-Beliche system of 4.6 kilometers, as well as the respective accesses and restorations.
The construction of the dam, whose possibility was mentioned since the 1970s, is justified by the need to reinforce water availability in the Algarve. After analysis of three possible alternatives, one was abandoned because it was completely within the Special Area of Conservation of the Guadiana. The adoption of the location corresponding to Axis 3 was recommended, as it is the most environmentally favorable option, resulting in the smallest reservoir area and being at a greater distance from protected areas. The reservoir will occupy a flooded area of 491 hectares and will have a total storage capacity of 99 cubic hectometers, with the dam being an embankment dam with a central bituminous concrete membrane.
The EIA indicates that the implementation of the project will generate significant negative impacts, both in the construction phase and in the operation phase, on biodiversity and water resources, due to the alteration of the natural flow regime of the Foupana stream. Minimization and compensation measures are planned, as well as monitoring programs related to surface water resources, sediment retention, birds and fauna, and the Iberian lynx due to the risk of roadkill on the IC27 surrounding the future reservoir. The study contracted by APA in 2021 estimated a necessary investment between 150 and 200 million euros.
The project may only be licensed after the issuance of a favorable, or conditionally favorable, Environmental Impact Statement. In April, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, guaranteed the advancement of the Foupana, Alportel, Girabolhos and Ocreza dams, within the framework of the Portugal Transformation, Recovery and Resilience program.
