Latest news and stories about drought in Portugal for expats and residents.
With dams full and another storm (Therese) hitting the country this weekend, the topic of water conservation seems untimely, but the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) warns that 'what we have ahead of us will be years of drought'. Regarding so much rain, he says it is 'an exceptional year. I would say that...'
The Minister of Agriculture stressed the need to save water so that in times of excess it is possible to store it without causing floods, and during drought, to have enough water for needs.
Filipe Lisboa warns that the country is exposed to increasingly frequent and intense phenomena, with persistent rain and saturated soils. The climate change expert advocates for more structural preparation and criticises political delays in adapting to these climate changes.
There were plenty of storms over the past year. We moved into extreme drought in parts of the country and, suddenly, there is abundant water and some dams are spilling over. Are we learning from our mistakes?
'Increased supply often creates a perception of abundance,' warns Kaveh Madani, director of the Institute for Water, Environment and Health at the United Nations University.
December 2025 was the seventh wettest December since 2000 in mainland Portugal, ending the mild drought that had existed in November in Évora, Beja and Faro, the IPMA reported.
The drought is not over, and it is necessary to continue the 'exemplary' effort made to improve water efficiency, warns the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency.
