Historic Agreement to Safeguard Water Resources in Vale do Lobo

Collaboration Agreement for Sustainable Water Use

The Collaboration Agreement for the Protection and Use of the Vale do Lobo Subsystem in the Campina de Faro aquifer was signed on October 29 in Loulé, at the Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen Municipal Library.

This agreement showcases the joint commitment of various sectors—such as golf, tourism, agriculture, and public green spaces—alongside local associations and public management entities (APA Algarve, Loulé City Council, and CCDR-former DRAP-Alg) to collaborate on defining and implementing measures for the sustainable protection of the aquifer. The agreement marks a historic milestone in the management of groundwater in Portugal, introducing a more participatory management format that addresses the challenges faced by public entities managing extensive water extraction across the territory.

This initiative is part of the eGROUNDWATER project (2020-2024), funded by the PRIMA Horizon 2020 program and coordinated by ISEG - University of Lisbon and UALG. The Vale do Lobo subsystem was selected as a pilot experience for participatory management due to its overexploitation and saltwater intrusion issues. In this participatory management model, an intersectoral and interinstitutional collective will work together to design new management rules that support aquifer sustainability and equitable usage.

Following the signing, a provisional management committee representing users, public entities, and academia will work to create a governance structure to operationalize this agreement and present it to current and future signatories. The next step will be to define strategies for advancing participatory management and implementing actions aimed at the aquifer's recovery.

The collaboration agreement emerges from the eGROUNDWATER project, transforming into a collective initiative among users and managers of the Campina de Faro aquifer, supported by civil society and academia, expected to become a model of participatory groundwater management in other aquifers across the Algarve and Portugal.

List of Present Signatories

| Name | Organization | |--------------------------|---------------------------------------------------| | Ana Sofia Silva | Loulé City Council | | Ana Vicente de Brito e Hamel | Infraquinta, E.M. | | António Martins | Águas do Algarve S.A. | | Carlos Carmo | Loulé City Council | | Carlos Ludovico | CCDR Algarve | | Carlos Manso | Infralobo E.M. | | Celine de Brito | Property Owners Association – Vale do Lobo Resort | | Edite Reis | APA Algarve | | Horacio Carvalho | Loulé City Council | | Hugo Miguel Nunes | Águas do Algarve S.A. | | Judite Fernandes | LNEG | | Lidia Terra | Loulé City Council | | Luís Costa | APA Algarve | | Luis Nunes | UALG | | Luis Rebelo | Vale do Lobo Golf course | | Marilyn Zacarias | Infraquinta, E.M. | | Marta Nieto Romero | ISEG/U. Lisboa | | Marta Varanda | ISEG/U. Lisboa | | N’zinga Miami Silva | Aproquila – Quinta do Lago | | Paulo Cruz | APA/Algarve | | Paulo Bota | Quinta do Lago S.A. | | Pedro Coelho | APA/Algarve | | Pedro Monteiro | CCDR Algarve | | Regina Casimiro | Infralobo E.M. | | Ricardo Correia | Vita Nativa | | Robert Lambert | Property Owners Association – Vale do Lobo Resort | | Sandra Rosário | Associação In Loco | | Sergio Marinho | Vitacress | | Silvério Guerreiro | Águas do Algarve S.A. | | Sofia Bento | ISEG/U. Lisboa | | Sonia Afonso | Quinta do Lago S.A. | | Tomás Melo Gouveia | Tropical Lda. | | Vânia Sousa | UAlg |

CM Loulé