The Government of the Azores has opened a six-month public consultation on the future of water management across the archipelago, inviting citizens, municipalities, environmental organizations, economic sectors, researchers, and other stakeholders to help shape regional water policy for the period 2028–2033.
The consultation, coordinated by the Regional Directorate for Environment and Climate Action (DRAAC), runs from June 1 through November 30, 2026, and focuses on the identification of the most significant challenges facing the management of water resources in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The initiative forms part of the preparation of the next Azores River Basin Management Plan (PGRH-Azores), the strategic framework that will guide water policy throughout the next planning cycle.
The process is a mandatory requirement under both the European Union Water Framework Directive and Portugal’s Water Law, ensuring public participation in the development of environmental policy and the protection of water resources.
The Azores Hydrographic Region encompasses all nine islands of the archipelago, including rivers, lakes, groundwater reserves, transitional waters, and coastal waters. Covering an area of more than 10,000 square kilometers, the region contains 91 distinct water bodies, including 63 surface water systems and 28 groundwater bodies.
Current assessments indicate that significant progress has been achieved over the past decade. According to the report now under public consultation, 72 of the Azores’ 91 water bodies—representing nearly 80 percent of the total—have already reached what European legislation defines as “good ecological status.” Another 13 water bodies are expected to reach that target by 2027.
Nevertheless, important challenges remain. Six water bodies are still not expected to achieve good status under the current planning cycle, with São Miguel presenting the most complex situation. Of the island’s 30 identified water bodies, only 18 currently meet the required standards, while others continue to face environmental pressures.
Among the principal concerns identified in the report are nutrient and organic pollution, microbiological contamination, eutrophication of lakes, groundwater salinization, nitrate pollution, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, flooding risks, losses in public supply systems, and the need for stronger monitoring and coordination between environmental policies and sectors such as agriculture, livestock production, and tourism.
Particular attention is being given to the condition of the Azores’ lakes. For the first time, eutrophication—the excessive accumulation of nutrients that can degrade water quality and aquatic ecosystems—has been singled out as a separate strategic issue. Many of the region’s iconic volcanic lakes continue to face ecological pressures that threaten their long-term health and sustainability.
Another emerging concern is microplastic pollution. Previously associated primarily with oceans, microplastics are increasingly being detected in freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, streams, and reservoirs. The report identifies multiple potential sources within the Azores, including tourism and recreational activities, agriculture, livestock operations, wastewater discharges, textile fibers, discarded plastics, fishing gear losses, maritime activities, and coastal tourism.
The consultation also highlights infrastructure challenges. Although substantial investments have been made in recent years, only about 22 percent of the Azorean population is currently connected to secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment systems. This reality continues to place pressure on rivers, coastal waters, and groundwater resources.
Progress in implementing the current management plan has been mixed. Of the 44 measures included in the 2022–2027 Water Management Plan, five have been fully completed, 23 are underway, and 15 had not yet begun implementation by the end of 2023. The report attributes many delays to funding constraints affecting public-sector entities.
For an island region whose history, economy, and daily life are inseparable from water, the consultation represents more than a technical exercise. The Azores depend on healthy watersheds, protected aquifers, resilient lakes, and sustainable coastal ecosystems to support public health, agriculture, tourism, biodiversity, and economic development.
As climate change intensifies pressures on water resources worldwide, the choices made during this planning process will help determine how effectively the Azores can safeguard one of its most valuable natural assets for future generations.
Public participation is available through an online questionnaire and through a series of information sessions to be held across all nine islands, both in person and through videoconference platforms. The consultation offers residents an opportunity to contribute directly to decisions that will shape the environmental future of the archipelago over the coming decade.
Adapted from a story in Diário dos Açores-Paulo Viveiros, director. Photo from Diário dos Açores.