Freshwater - National Responses (Portugal)

One of the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is to ensure the sustainable use of water resources in the EU. In accordance with the Directive, Portugal is formulating management plans for each of its 10 river basin districts. These planning tools, brought together in the National Water Plan 2010, which is being drawn up, underpin the management, protection and environmental, social and economic exploitation of water.

For additional information on the application of the Water Framework Directive in Portugal

http://dqa.inag.pt/

To reduce nitrate concentrations in water bodies, steps have been taken to implement good agricultural practice by raising farmers’ awareness by means of nationwide training initiatives – especially in areas of greater risk – designed to explain and disseminate environmental techniques and good agricultural practice. The Code of Good Agricultural Practice (Código de Boas Práticas Agrícolas [CBPA]), to be applied voluntarily by farmers, was drawn up to satisfy one of the requirements of the Nitrates Directive. The Code establishes general pointers and guidelines, mainly with a view to helping farmers to take measures to rationalise the use of fertilisers, and a range of growing techniques and methods impacting on nitrogen dynamics in agricultural ecosystems so as to minimise nitrate losses and thus protect surface and groundwater from pollution. It should be noted that the number of holdings that have adopted integrated production systems and organic production methods has increased.

For additional information on good agricultural practices

http://www.drapn.min-agricultura.pt/drapn/zona_v/Files_pdf/CodigoBPA.pdf

In the past certain action programmes were approved for vulnerable zones in order to reduce water pollution caused or induced by nitrates from agricultural sources and to prevent further such pollution to protect human health, living resources and aquatic ecosystems and safeguard other legitimate uses of water. A new action programme for vulnerable zones was approved in February 2010 that revises the various programmes already published and makes provision for the creation of new zones.

As regards the water supply and waste water sanitation sector, the Strategic Water Supply and Waste Water Sanitation Plan (Plano Estratégico de Abastecimento de Água e de Saneamento de Águas Residuais [2007-2013]) – PEAASAR II – was approved in 2007 to ensure the continuity of the water sector strategy set out by the previous PEAASAR (2000-2006), which played an essential role in structuring the water supply and sanitation sector.

For additional information on PEAASAR II

http://www.maotdr.gov.pt/Admin/Files/Documents/PEAASAR.pdf

To monitor compliance with the principal objectives and measures provided for in the national water plan (Decree-Law No. 112/2002 of 17 April) and to characterise the country’s water supply, drainage and wastewater treatment sectors, the National Water Supply and Waste Water System Inventory (Inventário Nacional de Sistemas de Abastecimento de Água e de Águas Residuais [INSAAR]) was developed and also operates as an instrument for monitoring and assessing PEAASAR II (2007-2013).

For additional information on INSAAR

http://insaar.inag.pt  

The Alqueva dam, whose reservoir is considered to be Europe's largest artificial lake, was built in the Alentejo to establish a strategic water reserve to supply agricultural, urban and industrial areas in a vast part of the region. This strategic reserve will allow water to be used even in periods of prolonged drought, since the Alentejo is characterised by its irregular water resources and climate – very hot dry summers, cold and sometimes rainy winters. Its principal feature, however, is that rainfall is concentrated in a short period of the year, normally from November to February, and with equally irregular cycles: periods of drought may last for three or more consecutive years.

For additional information on dams in Portugal

http://cnpgb.inag.pt/gr_barragens/gbportugal/index.htm