Portugal’s Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho prioritises water and announces major irrigation investments

At the opening of the National Agriculture Fair in Santarém, Portugal’s Minister of the Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, said water is “the biggest example” of linking agriculture and the environment and presented a series of new investments. €800 million is being spent on water‑cycle projects in the Algarve, including wastewater reuse and infrastructure upgrades. In the Alentejo region the government is advancing the long‑awaited Pisão dam and other public‑water projects worth more than €250 million, while the Girabolhos dam on the Mondego river is slated for flood control, public water supply and hydro‑electric generation. The Alqueva reservoir’s annual maximum volume will be raised from 620 to 730 hm³ to enable the long‑promised Moura irrigation block. Following the rise in water reserves, most restrictions on groundwater extraction have been lifted, except for a limited area in the Algarve. The minister also highlighted the push for biomethane, agro‑photovoltaic schemes and a €30 million support package for pastoral fuel‑reduction measures. Environmental group ZERO criticised new dam construction, but Carvalho insisted that projects undergo strict environmental scrutiny and have been validated by the courts.