Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 5^th October 2022

Good morning – Today is Republic Day (Dia da República) which is celebrated on 5th October and commemorates the end of the monarchy and the establishment of Portugal as a Republic in 1910.

October 5th is in fact a date that has a “double” importance to Portugal. The Treaty of Zamora (5 October 1143) recognized Portuguese independence from the Kingdom of León and Castilla. A public holiday, which for 767 years until 1910 was always celebrated like a birthday of Portugal, is for many Portuguese today exactly the same birthday and a reason to remember their own and national history and identity.

Looking at various safety issues we published yesterday safety in the use of tractors. It is not only farmers that use these, but also those in rural communities, in the upkeep of their land.  Unfortunately every year there are injuries and deaths in the use of tractors which are largely preventable. It is important therefore to keep in mind that protective structures in case of rollover, such as the “Santo António” bow, provide protection and can prevent the death of the driver or reduce the severity of injuries. Also it is important to follow the various safety measures and of course avoid carrying passengers!

The season considered the most critical of rural fires and the one that mobilizes the largest number of means of combat ended on Friday 30 September, with a record of almost 110,000 hectares of burned forest, the highest value since 2017, and four deaths.

In a summer in which the drought rate was the highest since 2005 and in which there were high temperatures, the risk of fire was high, which led the Government to declare, in July, for the first time, a calamity situation in the entire continent and also the alert situation that took place on some days in July and August.

We are now in Level III of the DCEIR operational program for 2022, which means that the allocation of operatives is reduced to around 11,000, whereas under phase IV what is commonly referred to as the critical fire period there were around 13,000. However the number of aircraft remains the same at 60.

The weather forecast, certainly for the first half of October, remains at above average temperatures (yesterday reaching as high as C, which is certainly above average for this time of the year. Relative humidity levels are also generally low. As such it is extremely important to remain vigilant and be prepared in case of rural fires. As I said on KissFm Radio last Sunday

A reminder that from 3^rd October 2022 around 1,000 UK nationals living in Porto can now obtain a new post-Brexit residence card (under the Withdrawal Agreement) at the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) service post. Please note that there is a need to await for an email from SEF, to arrange the booking of an appointment, do not try and visit the office concerned as it will be a wasted journey.

With that please have a safe day

News

Use of recycled waste-water

Lisbon, Oct 04, 2022 (Lusa) – The Minister of the Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, stated that it is necessary to accelerate the capacity to provide wastewater, and considered that one of the biggest challenges for the country is to improve the “governance of water”. ”.

Recalling that this is the second worst year of drought since 1931, prompting warnings for a future with less water, Duarte Cordeiro insisted on the need to save water in all sectors, in a context in which it is estimated that it will rain 15% less, possibly minus 25% by the end of the century.

Speaking at the end of an initiative in Lisbon called “We have water”, dedicated to innovation in the sector and organized by “Águas do Tejo Atlântico”, Duarte Cordeiro stressed that more and more water has to be reused, adding: “to improve governance of this resource is one of our biggest challenges”.

It is necessary, he said, to reduce losses, reduce consumption, make better use of abstractions and accelerate reuse, and also invest in desalination in some parts of the country.

Of the 600 million cubic meters of water that are consumed per year, part of them must be reused, said Duarte Cordeiro, who then symbolically presided over the launch of a new Vira beer (Vira Stout) that is produced with recycled water, a project by “Tejo Atlântico” which has already been awarded.

Specialists from the sector participated in the initiative and a study was discussed that indicates that the Portuguese are very concerned about the lack of water (four out of five) and the vast majority consider it the first need, and the majority of people also think that there is an excessive and abusive consumption of water.

Despite being sensitive to the problem of water scarcity, only one in three Portuguese people adopts rational behaviour in the use of water, according to the study.

Drug trafficking

The judicial Police and Brazilian Federal Police tighten the siege of a group caught in Portugal with 320kg of cocaine disguised in a “large load of açaí”

A new joint operation by the two police forces is related to the seizure of a ship with 320 kilos of cocaine in Portugal in June, which made three detainees at the time.

The Judiciary Police, the Brazilian Federal Police and Europol carried out another joint operation, this time to gain further evidence against a group of drug traffickers detected in the June operation.