The Algarve Report Wednesday 10th May 2023
by Mike Evans
Good day to you all and with the very hot weather here in the region continuing there is now a lot of concern about the amount of water the region around Alcoutim is consuming with one report showing that they are now using the water that they would usually use in the summer. It does beg the question: what will we do in the summer?
The drought is already visible in the fields of the northeast Algarve and is threatening water and food reserves that agricultural and livestock activities should consume in the summer, warned the mayor of Alcoutim.
Osvaldo Gonçalves was referring to the situation in that area of the Algarve and foresees great difficulties for the rest of the year, since water reserves that should only be consumed during the dry season, in summer, are already being used.
“We are advancing the consumption of these reserves and, perhaps, jeopardising some of these reserves for the future, which will deplete, both in terms of aquifers, and in terms of animal feed, permanent meadows and spontaneous vegetation, which at the moment it is dry”, warned the mayor. The mayor of Alcoutim was “painting” a picture of the drought in the municipality of the district of Faro, where the effects of the lack of rain and water are already visible, because “the field is completely dry” and “there is no moisture in the soil”, a identical situation as if the month of June had already arrived.
“I have some fruit trees in my backyard and this year I don’t have any fruit, because the heat itself – and I associate this with the heat at flower height – killed everything”, he exemplified, stressing that he has no scientific data to support this evaluation, based on “what is in everyone’s eyes”.
Osvaldo Gonçalves observed that, in Alcoutim, there is not a great deal of pressure in terms of irrigated agriculture or intensive herds, especially cattle, which consume the most water, and noted that, even in sheep and goats, the pressure is not very relevant, because “unfortunately there have been many more herds than there are at the moment”.
Livestock producers and farmers who still exist in the municipality are already facing difficulties caused by the lack of rain and the drought, which is considered severe in some areas of the eastern Algarve, warned the mayor.
“These people are starting to feel a concern at this moment in relation to what is the present, which are the permanent meadows that should be maintained until, at least, until the end of the month and which, in the meantime, are already becoming completely deteriorated”, justified.
The fodder that was sown was born, but did not progress, the seeds only grew and everything that was planted to ensure subsistence in the coming months “did not mature, nor did it spike”, he added. The same source underlined that the herds are probably already being fed using hay and straw, when they should only be consuming pasture, a reality that obliges livestock farmers to pay additional expenses to meet the needs of the animals.
Meanwhile some of the Algarve golf courses want connection to WWTP to reduce water consumption.Those responsible for the two largest groups with golf courses in the south of the country stress that they have already taken measures to reduce consumption, but that they still need to start receiving more water from the Wastewater Treatment Stations (WWTP).
The east side of the Algarve is in a situation of severe drought, but the west side also suffers from the worsening lack of rain and water scarcity, which has led the authorities to look for measures that minimise the effects of the drought without harming the main sector of the region, tourism.
“Invest as quickly as possible. We have been talking about investing for two years, but very few concrete steps have been taken on the ground”, said Grupo Pestana administrator for the Algarve, Pedro Lopes.
The official lamented the existence of a series of investments that have been planned for several years and that continue without leaving the drawing board, such as those foreseen in the construction of a desalination plant, in the water networks, in the sewers for the WWTP or in the leaks of the network, among others.
The administrator of the group that owns five of the approximately 40 courses in the Algarve ensures that, in recent years, the reduction in the water used in the irrigation of the five golf courses is of “one third to 40%”, having taken a series of measures , such as using new grass varieties that require less water. The director of Grupo Pestana assured that they are using “a lot less water” than three years ago, insisting that now “it is essential” to connect the golf courses to the WWTP.
Pedro Lopes has no doubt that “the water [from the WWTP] that is wasted today, going into rivers and the sea, can be used on golf courses precisely in the summer, which is when they need it most”.
The director of Grupo Pestana underlined that the 40 golf courses in the south of the country “are always on the lookout for new technologies and ways to save water. Not only because of its cost, but also because it is a very scarce resource”, he underlined.
“There are already three [fields] connected [to WWTP] in the Algarve, but many more have to do this”, underlined Pedro Lopes, insisting on the lack of these stations to provide wastewater. The Pestana Group will start next summer using WWTP water on two of its golf courses in the Algarve, at a time when there are more tourists in the region and the treatment plants are producing more.
While this may be a good solution to the water shortage it should be noted that Golf courses use 5 to 6% of the Algarve water, with 60 to 65% by agriculture, approximately 25% by urban consumption and around 5% by small industries.The full WWTP scheme will not come until 2025.
Now a look at some of the other news from around the region,
18 year old Man found Dead in VRSA
An 18-year-old young man of Ukrainian nationality was found dead on the morning of this Friday, May 5, in Vila Real de Santo António , the Public Security Police ( PSP ) told JA .
The body was found in the attic of the building where he resided, near the Municipal Market of Vila Real de Santo António, after being missing since 11:00 pm on Thursday, May 4, the family having asked the PSP for help, which carried out overnight searches.
Around 07:00 this Friday, the body was found, which was later transported to the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, in Faro, for an autopsy to be carried out, although any evidence of a crime was ruled out.
Three arrested for drug trafficking in Castro Marim
Two men and a woman were arrested on Tuesday, May 2, for drug trafficking in the municipality of Castro Marim , announced the National Republican Guard (GNR).
The arrest of the suspects, aged between 50 and 61, was carried out by the Faro Territorial Command , through the Tavira Criminal Investigation Nucleus, after an investigation that had been going on for three years.
The suspects were dedicated to selling narcotics directly to consumers in the municipality of Castro Marim, causing social alarm, uneasiness and a feeling of insecurity in the population.After 13 search warrants, three in homes and 10 in vehicles, 46 doses of marijuana, 93 doses of cocaine, 47 doses of heroin, four precision scales, a shotgun, a machete, a sabre concealed in a cane, a starter gun, three airsoft pistols, six compressed air guns, two vehicles, ammunition of different calibres, material suspected to be from theft and 1882 euros in cash.
Two light vehicles that had been stolen in the municipalities of Tavira and Olhão were also recovered.
This police operation was reinforced by the Faro Intervention Detachment, the Intervention and Special Operations Group, the Intervention and Public Order Group and the collaboration of the Foreigners and Borders Service, Tax Authority, Castro Marim City Council, Social Security and of health.
The detainees were present at the Judicial Court of Faro, for the application of coercive measures.
Boat stranded on the Guadiana had five tons of hashish
The speedboat that was stranded today on a sandbar at the mouth of the Guadiana river , near Vila Real de Santo António , had five tons of narcotics on board, announced the National Republican Guard (GNR).
During a surveillance action at the national maritime border, the military detected the suspicious high-speed vessel entering the mouth of the Guadiana river and began tracking and permanently monitoring it.
While police investigations were carried out by the Coastal Control Sub-detachment of Vila Real de Santo António, the immobilised vessel was detected on that sandbar between Portugal and Isla Canela, in Spain. The vessel, 12 metres long and with four high-powered engines, had 136 bales of hashish and the suspects managed to escape, and it has not been possible to locate them so far.
The facts were communicated to the Judicial Court of Vila Real de Santo António and to the Judiciary Police. As the captain of the port of Vila Real de Santo António, Afonso Martins, told JA, the vessel was also seen by the Maritime Police during the morning, and the Spanish authorities were contacted.
A similar situation occurred in this exact location about two months ago.
25-year-old man dies in motorcycle crash in Vilamoura
A 25-year-old man died on Wednesday, May 3, after the motorcycle he was riding in Vilamoura , in the municipality of Loulé, said a source from the Algarve Sub-regional Command. The alert for the accident was given at 19:45, for a motorcycle skidding.
According to the same source, death was declared on the spot by the doctor from the Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER).Elements from Loulé Firefighters, Albufeira Firefighters and INEM were on site, with a total of 14 operators supported by six vehicles.
The GNR was also at the scene and is investigating the causes of the accident.
One dead in collision with heavy vehicle on IC1 in Messines
One person died today following a collision with a heavy vehicle on the Complementary Route 1 (IC1), in the Corte Pereiro area, in Messines, said a source from the sub-regional command of the Algarve.
According to the same source, the accident, which occurred at 10:26 am and involved a heavy vehicle and a light vehicle, whose driver is the fatal victim, forced traffic to be cut in both directions, next to Corte Pereiro, in the district of Faro . .
By 12:30 pm, 23 firefighters, the National Institute of Medical Emergencies (INEM), GNR and Infraestruturas de Portugal were still on site, supported by 11 vehicles. The truck driver was assisted on site by the rescue team, but did not need to be transported to any health unit.
Authorities are now investigating the causes of the accident.
GNR detained 18 people during inspection
The National Republican Guard (GNR) detained 18 people aged between 16 and 54 in the municipality of Albufeira during policing and combating crime, announced the security force.
Nine people were arrested for drug trafficking, four for driving under the influence of alcohol , two for illicit image recording and one for driving without a legal licence.
During the inspection, 353 doses of cocaine, 106 doses of hashish, 21 grams of ecstasy, 18 doses of cannabis, 1545 euros in cash, 60 pounds, seven mobile phones, a knife, three Of the 18 detainees, five of them remained at the GNR premises and were presented at the Judicial Court of Albufeira, one of them having been decreed the coercive measure of pre-trial detention for drug trafficking and sent to the Silves Prison.identification documents and a high-capacity vehicle were seized during the inspection.
Have a good week. Until the next time.