Minister delays repairs to Algarve’s storm damaged coast and patrimony

The Social Democratic Party has questioned the government about its lack of response to the damage and resulting risks that were identified after the violent storms that hit the Algarve coast in late February and early March, 2018.

“We questioned the Environment Minister because, to date, we are not aware of any progress in this process. The Government’s lack of response to the vast array of situations requiring urgent intervention is worrying,” said local MPs, José Carlos Barros and Cristóvão Norte.

On April 6th, parliament approved a draft resolution about the urgently needed work outlines in an inventory that highlighted infrastructures and buildings at risk of further decline.
The resolution required the Ministry of the Environment, within 30 days, to come up with a Programme to Minimise Risks along the Algarve Coast.

Among these situations, the Social Democratic MPs have highlighted the silting up of channels and the damage to dune in the Ria Formosa Natural park area, risks along the rocky coastline of the western Algarve and current danger to buildings such as the Fortaleza de Cacela Velha in the VRSA council area.

The action plan should have been presented by the Minister of the Environment, Pedro Matos Fernandes, in early May – we are now in June.