On National Water Day, a statement has raised concerns regarding a “widespread non-compliance” with the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
A complaint filed on Monday demands the immediate initiation of an infringement procedure against Portugal for failing to implement ecological flows.
The association urges the government to impose a moratorium on the construction of new dams in the country.
According to Zero’s analysis, 64% of the reservoirs associated with large dams in mainland Portugal do not comply with the requirements for the definition and release of ecological flows, the minimum amount of water that must be released to maintain functioning aquatic ecosystems along rivers.
Zero examined 121 water bodies and found that 50 had no defined ecological flow, and 28 had a defined flow but did not release water, resulting in 78 out of 121 reservoirs being non-compliant.
The lack of ecological flows compromises rivers’ self-purification capabilities, water quality, and ecosystem health, exacerbated by only 7.4% of reservoirs having fish passage facilities.
Non-compliance has consequences, such as a 30% decline in the Water Mole (Galemys pyrenaicus) population in Portugal over the past decade due to river fragmentation and abrupt water discharges.
Zero highlights the strategic contradiction of the Portuguese government in continuing to promote and finance new dam projects while failing to comply with the WFD in over 60% of existing infrastructures.
The moratorium on new dam constructions is intended to prompt a strategic reassessment of water management, which currently prioritizes intensive agriculture responsible for over 70% of the country’s water consumption.
The government is also accused of directing public funds to controversial projects, such as the Crato Multi-purpose Hydraulic Utilization (Pisão Dam), and claims that building new river barriers is incompatible with the legal aim of achieving good ecological status for rivers by 2027, as well as the Nature Restoration Law objectives.
The UN World Water Day is observed on March 22, while, since 1983, National Water Day is also celebrated on October 1 in Portugal. This date marks the beginning of the hydrological year, indicating when water reserves reach a minimum and the new rainy season begins.
