Six environmental defense organizations launched legal action on Monday to contest an intensive irrigation project spanning 260 hectares in Alcácer do Sal, Portugal. The Initiative, located at the Herdades de Murta and Monte Novo estates, aims to establish a tangerine orchard that relies heavily on groundwater extraction.
The Coalition includes Água & Sal, Dunas Livres, GEOTA, Quercus, SPEA, and Zero-Association Sustainable Terrestrial System. In a joint statement, the groups warned that the project could consume nearly double the amount of water currently used by the municipality's public network. They intend to use the lawsuit to protect underground water reserves and ensure sufficient supply for all residents.
The legal challenge targets the Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) issued in August by the Alentejo Regional Coordination and Development Commission. Pedro Horta from Zero explained that the declaration was approved with conditions following several reformulations and significant public opposition. The project seeks permits for 12 underground water intakes, totaling up to 1.74 billion liters annually.
According to the organizations, this volume is nearly twice the 886,000 cubic meters distributed by Alcácer do Sal's public network in 2023 and approaches the total consumption of Grândola, which stands at 1.9 million cubic meters. Although a fourth reformulation reduced the agricultural area from 295 to approximately 260 hectares, the groups denounce that the water extraction volume remained unchanged.
The organizations emphasize that the aquifer in question is in a critical state and serves as the only water source for populations in Alcácer do Sal and Grândola, including the areas of Comporta, Carvalhal, and Melides. They highlight that the DIA itself classified the impact on groundwater as having high magnitude, being very significant and certain.
Consequently, the groups are calling for a re-evaluation of the DIA and an independent study of the aquifer south of the Sado River before any new licenses for large-volume water intakes are issued. To support legal, procedural, and technical costs associated with this initiative, the associations have launched a crowdfunding campaign.
Sources: Observador.