In measures to combat drought in the region the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve (AMAL) has announced the closure of swimming pools and the end of ornamental fountains.

According to a statement from AMAL, the 16 mayors of the Algarve decided to close the public municipal swimming pools during the month of August and, eventually, the entire month of September (with the exception of the pools open in the more inland territories).

The Intermunicipal Council also approved the closure of ornamental fountains, the reduction of irrigation days and the stoppage of irrigation of public green spaces with lawns reconverted by native species and with lower water availability requirements.

In the note, the presidents of the Algarve municipalities recall that “some of these measures are already on the ground and others will be reinforced or implemented over the next few weeks, taking into account the drought scenario that affects the region and which, in some cases, is extreme”.

The president of AMAL, António Miguel Pina, had already warned of the serious situation of lack of water in the district, recalling that “if the next hydrological year is the same, water may even become scarce in the taps of the Algarve, in October 2023”.