It’s been 17 years since it rained so little in Portugal in January. At the end of last month, the entire continental territory of the country was in a situation of drought, with 34% in severe drought and 11% in extreme drought.
In February, the rains have continued below normal levels for the period and, although there is still no lack of water in the taps, the drought is already affecting the lives of the Portuguese.
To prioritize human supply in the midst of water scarcity, the government ordered the suspension of hydroelectric energy production in five dams. The measure is initially valid until March 1, when it will be reassessed.
Portuguese authorities say that the supply in the country will not be compromised by the change, but it is still not clear whether there will be an impact on the price of the electricity bill – which has already undergone successive increases in recent months.
In several parts of Portugal, the drought caused profound changes in the landscape. In the region of the river Zêzere, in the center of the country, there are spots where the soil is completely dry and with large cracks.
The water level dropped so much that it ended up revealing the ruins of the old village of Vilar, submerged for almost 70 years when a dam was implemented.
In the north, the sharp decrease in the volume of the Lindoso dam exposed another ancient submerged settlement, the village of Aceredo.
“There have always been droughts in Portugal, because our type of climate means that there are really periods like this. But they were more punctual situations, which did not occur as often as in recent years”, says Vanda Pires, a climatologist at the Instituto Português do Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
According to data from the entity, in the last six years the level of monthly precipitation in January was always below the value considered normal for the period. But, among the last 91 years, 2022 is the sixth among those with the lowest rainfall in January.
Directly impacted, the agricultural sector also already accounts for the losses. The National Confederation of Agriculture argued that the drought situation is already quite worrying.
In the Algarve, in the south, the lack of rain is already affecting the cultivation of oranges, one of the main crops in the region. Although many producers have access to irrigation systems, supplementary irrigation is not enough to fully compensate for the lack of rain. In addition to compromising the viability of the fruits, the absence of water reduces the volume of production. Cereal and almond producers are also on alert.
In livestock, the drought affects the costs of feeding the herds. Without rain, the natural pasture –which by now should be green – is not enough to feed the animals. As a result, producers are forced to resort to rations to ensure cattle feed. The increase in production costs is already beginning to be passed on to consumers.
In addition to being drier, the month was also particularly hot. The maximum air temperature was the highest in the last 90 years for the month of January, with an average of 15.3°C.
The heat has become a reason for celebration for tourists, who have taken advantage of the sunny days to fill the streets of the main Portuguese cities. The combination of hot and dry air, however, has favored the occurrence of forest fires — another challenge faced in the country.
Preliminary data from the National Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) indicate that January 2022 had 500 more fire records than the same period in 2021. The scenario led Civil Protection representatives from several cities to express concern, appealing population to avoid burning for agricultural purposes on their properties.
In the assessment of climatologist Vanda Pires, the climate crisis has a decisive weight on the already perceptible changes in Portugal. In addition to making this association, the specialist also warns of the risk that, after this period of scarcity, torrential rains will occur.
“It doesn’t mean that it will happen this year, but that is often exactly what happens. Sometimes, following a dry period in Portugal, there are situations of a lot of precipitation”, he explains. “For the soil, that’s not good either. A soil that’s very dry and suddenly receives large amounts of precipitation can’t hold that water as effectively.”
The lack of rain is affecting the entire Iberian Peninsula. In neighboring Spain, several regions are also experiencing drought, with Andalusia and Catalonia being the most affected. Faced with the situation, the Spanish government expressed concern.
This Thursday (17), the European Parliament met to discuss the issue, but no concrete decision was taken. MEPs, however, drew attention to the seriousness of the problem, especially for farmers in the region, and asked for more support for the sector.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, has already met with the ministers of the area of ​​Portugal and Spain to discuss what European Union funds can be mobilized to support the sector.
Although considered worrying, the current drought in Portugal is still far from the effects of the one that occurred in 2005, the worst in the last 60 years, when the entire country was affected and thousands of people were left without water at home.
Since then, Portugal has invested in a series of measures to mitigate the effects of the lack of rain. In addition to building dams and optimizing the use of aquifers, the country sought to improve domestic supply and irrigation systems for agriculture.
Experts warn, however, that more investment is needed, in addition to work on restoring worn-out infrastructure. For Pires, from IPMA, Portugal also needs to better plan the destination of its water resources.
“We have to think about adapting to this reality [de crise climática]. There needs to be an optimization of resources, with less waste of water”, he says. The weather forecast for the next few days does not indicate significant volumes of rain.
