The municipality of Almada faces significant water supply problems during summer, a situation that the mayor, Inês de Medeiros, publicly recognizes. According to the mayor, the region's subsoil does not have enough water to meet the population's needs, a problem that cannot be solved by Almada alone.
Relations with the neighboring municipality of Seixal also present difficulties, which further complicates the management of water resources in the region. Inês de Medeiros emphasizes that a metropolitan-scale solution is necessary, highlighting that only 23% of the affected people are effectively from Almada.
Another topic that placed Almada at the center of media attention is the illegal shantytowns in Penajoia, a neighborhood that grew irregularly on lands of the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation. The mayor criticized the IHRU for allowing the growth of these dwellings without intervention.
The mayor defends that resolving these problems, both water and the illegal neighborhood, requires a coordinated approach at the metropolitan level, since the issues transcend the administrative boundaries of Almada.
