Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 10th May 2023
Good morning – There has been much attention recently on the drought situation both in Portugal but in particular, in Spain, but also in France as well
The French Pyrénées – Orientales department, which borders Spain’s Catalonia autonomous region, will be officially declared to be at drought “crisis” level from 10 May 2023, when bans on car-washing, garden-watering, and pool-filling will also come into effect. This first set of water restrictions is an effort to conserve water resources and prioritises drinking water above other usages.
There are currently over 40 “départements” in France, amounting to nearly half the country, which are officially at “alert” or “vigilance” levels of drought. The Pyrénées-Orientales will become the fourth district to declare a “crisis” drought level.
Turning to Portugal, in particular the Algarve my colleague Mike Evans has written an excellent report for today on the drought situation drawn from various sources of information and what is being done to address this issue. He compares various areas of the Algarve and in particular the serious situation facing farmers in the east. Please read the Algarve Report today – thank you Mike
This is mirrored in a feature by Antonia Vignolo a consultant in disaster management and climate change adaption, in a feature for the Algarve Resident out tomorrow, in which she states that there are different measures that governments can take in order to mitigate the impacts of droughts.
Public awareness sessions about water scarcity and conservation can prompt individuals to adopt water saving practices. Recycling and reusing wastewater can help to conserve water resources and reduce the demand for freshwater during droughts. Developing water storage facilities such as dams, reservoirs, and aquifer storage and recovery systems can help to store water during wet periods and supply it during droughts.
Other practices include implementing measures to reduce water demand such as promoting water-efficient technologies, developing drought-tolerant crops, and reducing water-intensive activities. And Adopting land management practices such as reforestation, soil conservation, and reducing soil erosion. Thank you Antonia.
So as you can see this is an issue which is at the top of our minds on our team at Safe Communities, as there are bound to be an increasingly severe impact as droughts intensify – as they will. If you are purchasing property in rural areas we recommend that you do as much research as possible on water supply, as boreholes in some areas are running dry, with owners therefore having reply on water delivery to their homes.
Another impact apart from drought, is that high temperatures and lack of rainfall are related to rural fires. On 18th to 20th May Safe Communities Portugal will have a stand at the ALGARSAFE’23 Portimão International Civil Protection and Relief Fair at the Portimão Arena and the Fairs and Exhibitions Park. Thus is initiative co-organized by the Portimão City Council and the Bombeiros de Portimão, with the support from the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC). With over 70 exhibitors there will be much to see and learn for the whole family.
On Saturday 20th May from 12.00 to 13:00 hrs there will be group presentation with questions and answers on “Disaster Risk Communication for Foreign Communities” facilitated by Safe Communities Portugal. This session will be delivered in English, involving the different players in risk communication and interpretation of warning and alert systems, with the participation of: Republican National Guard, Institute of Nature Conservation and Forestry, National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority and the Municipality of Civil Protection of Portimão.
This is for the foreign community and the presentations will be English There will be much to learn from this as by understanding what, when, and where a disaster might happen, how severe it could be, and who would be most affected. If we don’t understand risk, we can’t manage it. So we ask you to attend.
Registration at the ALGARSAFE’23 secretariat (desk) on the day or by email: eventos@ahbvp.pt. Free registration, limited to the number of places available.
Our team at Safe Communities wish you a safe week ahead.
News
Average Speed Cameras
The new average speed cameras that are planned to be introduced are already being tested in 14 locations. There is still no date for entry into operation. Know where they are and how they will work.
How Average Speed cameras work
The average speed cameras are different from the equipment that is already found in various parts of the national road network and that are also used by the police authorities, namely the PSP and the GNR. There are two devices that are placed at the beginning and end of a section with a high accident rate. The first equipment, equipped with a camera, photographs the license plate and the exact time of passage of the vehicle and the second registers, again, the time and the license plate. These radars then calculate the average speed between the two points to understand whether or not the driver complied with the legal speed limits on the section in question.
Where are they being tested?
Portugal acquired 10 medium speed cameras that will monitor, on a rotating basis, 20 locations with high accident rates. At the moment, the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) is testing them in 14 locations covering national roads, motorways and complementary itineraries, namely on the IC1, in Beja; on the A1 and EN109, in Coimbra; on the A6 and IP2, in Évora; on the EN10, on the EN6-7 and on the IC19, in Lisbon; on the A3, in Porto; on the A1, in Santarém; and on the EN10, EN378, EN4 and IC1, in Setúbal.
What is the difference between a fixed camera and an average speed camera?
Both speed cameras have a deterrent effect and generally force most drivers to reduce speed. Fixed radar works best on a black spot (ie a specific location on a road where serious accidents systematically occur, exacerbated by excessive speed). The average speed radar, on the other hand, is more suitable for roads, where there are sections of a few kilometres with high levels of accidents, and can monitor several lanes.
ANSR’s ambition (supported by experience with this equipment abroad) is for drivers to reduce the speed of movement on these sections and, with that, a decrease in the number of accidents. Traffic speed is one of the main causes of road accidents, in particular accidents with serious injuries and fatalities.
Will the speed cameras be placed at the same distance on all roads?
No. The distance of the installation of the radars and, consequently, the area controlled by the authorities, will depend on the characteristics of each section. Although, on average, these devices cover areas of up to 10 kilometres, they will not stay that far on all roads.
Everything will depend on the specific conditions of the portion of the road to be inspected. According to ANSR, there will be sections that will be between three and four kilometres apart.
Will drivers be warned of the existence of speed cameras?
Yes. In addition to the on-site signage (a traffic sign, H42, was created in 2022), the location and date of entry into operation of the radars will also be published on the ANSR website. There is still no date for the start of operation of the equipment.
Citius computer system that serves the courts collapses
The alert was given by the Union of Judicial Employees, which ensures that the system has collapsed across the country as a result of updates that could last until the end of the week. The Ministry of Justice guarantees that it was “a momentary unavailability, for a period of less than 20 minutes” and that the situation is already normalized.
The Union of Judicial Employees (SFJ) warned this Tuesday that the Citrus computer system “collapsed” across the country, as a result of updates that could last until the end of the week, related to the electronic drawing of processes.
António Marçal, president of the SFJ, told the Lusa agency that he had information that these updates relate to the entry into force this week of the new regime for the electronic drawing of cases in the courts.
The Ministry of Justice reacted, however, to this complaint, guaranteeing that it was “a momentary unavailability, for a period of less than 20 minutes (between 2:05 pm and 2:23 pm), in accessing computer services and telephone numbers of Justice, due to a problem in an equipment”.
“Contrary to what was conveyed through some media, this interruption is not related to the development work to make available the new model for electronic distribution of processes. The normal operation of all systems has already been re-established, after updating the said equipment”, underlined the cabinet of Minister Catarina Sarmento e Castro.
The SFJ pointed out that the problem arises at a time when there are already several other delays in the courts, namely because of the strikes that judicial officials have carried out.
He exemplified with the case of the Court of Seixal, where there are processes for distribution since January 2023, while in the Public Ministry of Seixal the processes to register and distribute are about 2,000, papers to register about 1,500, emails to handle more than 600.