Reducing the Vulnerability of Societies to Water Related Risks at the Basin Scale (Proceedings of the third International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management, Bochum, Germany, September 2006). IAHS Publ. 317, 2007, 204–210.
Water management solutions for the Algarve River basin
CRISTINA SILVA & RODRIGO MAIA
Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Secção de Hidráulica, Recursos Hídricos e Ambiente, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s.n., 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Abstract The major purpose of the paper is to draw attention to the importance of DSS (Decision Support System) application to the study of real alternative water resources management options in the Ribeiras do Algarve river basin, located in the south of Portugal. The intensified pressure on water resources associated with irrigated agriculture activities, golf courses and tourism development has led to a critical situation of conflicting interests in the region, mostly during summer months. Moreover, since 2003, the area has experienced a “severe drought period” during the dry season, showing the exhaustion of supply water sources and intensifying the need for the regional stakeholders to find and implement new alternatives. The paper presents results of the definition of new strategies for water resources management in the Algarve region, emphasizing urban water supply sectoral issues.
Key words Algarve River Basin; water management solutions; WSM-DSS tool