Severe Drought Highlights Water Scarcity

2023

By 2023, the Algarve faced its worst water crisis in decades, with reservoir levels at dangerously low levels after consecutive years of below-average rainfall. The Odelouca and Bravura dams, which supply much of the region's water, dropped to below 30 per cent capacity. Restrictions were imposed on agricultural irrigation, garden watering, and swimming pool filling. Golf courses came under particular scrutiny for their water consumption. The crisis was not new; the Algarve has long faced tension between its semi-arid climate and the water demands of a growing population and tourist industry. Climate change projections suggest that southern Portugal will become hotter and drier, making water management one of the most pressing long-term challenges for the region. Investment in desalination, water recycling, and the transfer of water from the Guadiana river system has been proposed and in some cases begun, but the fundamental mismatch between supply and demand remains unresolved.