As the raw sewage continues to flow into the Ria Formosa, day in - day out, the untroubled Olhão mayor has announced a change in funding for his showpiece project, the redevelopment of the city’s two riverside parks and the ‘requalification’ of the principal Avenida Octubro 5th.
This 'upgrading' of Olhão, to try and make it the same as all the other tourist areas of the region, now is to be paid for by a grant from the Environmental Fund under its 'Adaptation to Climate Change - Water Resources,' programme.
Whether the use of this funding source is ironic of insulting remains fully to be judged but the original project was to be paid for by the cash-rich Polis Litoral Ria Formosa Society, with a contribution from ratepayers, before it is closed down at the end of December 2018.
Olhão Council is to receive €1 million to moderise the Patrão Joaquim Lopes and Pescador Olhanense riverside garden areas and is one of four Councils nationally to receive financing from the Environmental Fund under 'Adaptation to Climate Change - Water Resources' despite the renovation of the two gardens having little to do with the grant's conditions and the redevelopment of the main Avenida Octubro 5th having zero to do with them.
The signing of the financing agreement took place on Friday, September 7, in the presence of Environment Minister, João Matos Fernandes, who is happy that grant money is misued in this way despite this politically inspired grant, preventing serious climate change projects to receive funding.
According to the Ministry’s explanation, this funding will allow the implementation of four national,"flagship projects for adaptation to climate change in the area of water resources, including reducing vulnerabilities to flood risks at the interface with urban areas," according to Sul Informação whose reporter managed to sit through the ceremony.
The Olhão project for its two green areas on the river front, obtained €1 million from the Environmental Fund with the remaining €400,000 coming from baffled ratepayers. It seems that stage one now is to cost €1.4 million with no mention of the cost of developing the through road which in the first budget was €750,000.
The original cost of the work was budgeted at €1.5 million - €900,000 payable by Polis Litoral Ria Formosa Society and €600,000 by Olhão’s ratepayers.
The wafer thin terminology to get this application through the grant vetting process includes some classic mayor-speak, including, ‘the urban and environmental requalification of the Patrão Joaquim Lopes and Pescador Olhanense gardens is part of the measures envisaged as regards the valorisation of water resources and the implementation of green spaces in urban areas appropriate to the soil and climatic conditions and the impacts of climate change, in particular as regards irrigation practices and the use of plant species with lower water requirements, and can also act as retention basins and as a contribution to the protection of the effects of heatwaves.’
This project also is part of the, "implementation of solutions for the utilisation of treated waste water and rainwater and for improving the efficiency of water consumption in urban areas (including irrigation and maintenance of outdoor areas), particularly in regions subject to recurrent water shortage."
In practice, the renovation of the gardens simply will include low-water plants and the irrigation will be from grey water or rainwater.
'The existing irrigation network, which is deteriorated, will also be completely replaced, thus eliminating water losses. In addition, the irrigation of the gardens will be made using the treated wastewater from the Faro-Olhão WWTP, thus reducing the consumption of drinking water," explained Olhão's mayor.
The Council continues: ‘The installation of LED lighting, the increase of arboreal vegetation and shade areas and the increase of permeable areas, fomenting the infiltration of water in the ground, are some of the measures contemplated in the project that made the application from Olhão one of the four contemplated a national level.’
Mayor António Pina continued, "It is with great pride that I have today signed this financing agreement, which will make the riverside area of our city an example at the national level in terms of environmental protection and minimising the effects of climate change, which are a reality to which we are particularly susceptible in the Algarve."
The application got though with a big shove from the Environment Minister, who, according to Pina, "once again showed openness to our arguments and proved a sensitive interlocutor to the grounds that we presented during the negotiation of our candidature."
All of this work was due to start next month but the work to the gardens has been delayed until next autumn, safely after the 2019 elections.
However, the first phase of the rehabilitation of the riverside, which includes the Avenida 5 de Outubro and the calçada surrounding the iconic markets, is moving forward next month, October 2019, with no information issued as to whether the main route along the riverside will become one way, as per the original plan that has been slammed by local market traders.
While continuing to ignore perhaps the main environmental problem in the city - the unending flow of raw sewage into the Ria Formosa from multiple outlets flowing beneath Olhão’s streets - the Council continues it’s purple prose about how its new garden represents a positive move to attract tourists while forgetting to appreciate that tourists visit the city exactly because of its authenticity and lack of smart, up-to-date 'facilities.'
"The common denominator of this intervention is the evocation of the Ria, the sea and the traditions of Olhão and the preservation of the memory and iconic spaces, creating a homogeneous zone, where gardens, markets, Avenida 5 de Outubro and commercial establishments will form an integrated set, eliminating the architectural and visual barriers that currently exist and creating a tourist area par excellence, as well as a space of enjoyment for all Olhanenses, ‘friend’ of the environment and that minimises the effects of climate change,” concludes the mayor.
The gardens may indeed end up looking better than before, although this is a matter for later judgement, but the use of an environmental grant just because the project uses low-water plants and recycled water, remains fully to be explained by the minister.
Meanwhile, the sewage continues to flow...most visibly, near the ferry ticket office.
In São Pedro do Sul, Viseu, another recipient of an Environmental Fund grant, the project is to modernise the old system of floodgates on the river Vouga and install a system of hygrometric sensors to measure the flow and take water quality measurements.
This is exactly the sort of work that the fund was set up to help, not changing public park areas and paying for an irrigation system that has not been properly maintained, as in the case for Olhão’s grant.
"The idea is to have a flood warning and prevention system that allows, in a timely manner, to control the flow of the river through the new system of floodgates which will be automated," explained the São Pedro do Sul Council.
This flood prevention project, a total spend of €1.3 million, is receiving €996,000 from the Environmental Fund. Another part of the project is to dredge the river to increase the water flow zone and to tidy up the riverbanks for people to use.
"The floods are a risk, especially for the lower zone, where the baths and other public buildings are located. With this project we will minimise the problem," says a Council spokesman.
