Government unveils 5 billion euro water management strategy

The prime minister, Luís Montenegro, said on Sunday that the strategy for water management will have an estimated investment of five billion euros by 2030, in what he considers “a real transformation” for the country.

The “Water that Unites” strategy, which includes almost 300 measures to be implemented, was presented at the Convento São Francisco in Coimbra, attended by various Government members, mayors and members of the working group that developed the plan.

During his speech presenting the programme, Luís Montenegro said that the strategy envisages an investment of five billion euros by 2030 and that it proposes a “strategic transformation” of the country, so that it can have the capacity to “fight against the negative effects of climate change”, while at the same time making the most of its resources, whether in the productive capacity of agriculture, industry or tourism.

“We have some funding instruments available that we want to take advantage of, and we have to look for others to ensure the part isn’t guaranteed. Then, we want to start preparing the funding for the next decade, 2030 to 2040, so that the strategy can be followed up, which we know we won’t be the ones to implement. We intend to stay here for a few more years, but in a decade, others will be here”, he said.

The prime minister now hopes that the strategy presented can be discussed with society and other political forces, highlighting the document’s objective of increasing capacity and better using water — whether by reducing losses or reusing water.

Luís Montenegro also emphasised that water is available unevenly across the country, considering that “Water that Unites” ensures territorial cohesion and that a spirit of solidarity “underlying this strategy” exists.

In June 2024, the government set up a working group, led by the president of the Águas de Portugal group, to outline the country’s strategy for efficient water management, storage and distribution.