New investments in agricultural water infrastructure strengthen resilience across Terceira and São Jorge.
There are few resources more essential to island life than water. In the Azores, where agriculture remains one of the pillars of the regional economy, every reservoir constructed, every pipeline installed, and every new distribution system represents far more than an engineering project. It is an investment in food security, environmental sustainability, and the future of rural communities.
The Regional Government of the Azores continues to advance that vision through a series of infrastructure projects designed to strengthen water availability for agriculture across the archipelago. With construction already underway on new water supply systems on Terceira Island and the launch of the final project financed through the Environmental Fund on São Jorge, the Region is completing an ambitious program aimed at making Azorean agriculture more resilient in the face of increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions.
On Terceira, two major water supply projects are progressing in the Canada dos Tinchais and Canada da Praia areas within the island’s important dairy basin of Paúl. Representing an investment of approximately €230,000, these works will improve water access across nearly 2,800 hectares of agricultural land while installing eighty new supply connections that will directly benefit local farms. In a region where dairy farming remains a cornerstone of both the economy and rural identity, ensuring reliable access to water is fundamental to maintaining productivity and long-term sustainability.
Meanwhile, on the neighboring island of São Jorge, the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, through IROA, has launched the final tender included under Protocol No. 27/2025 signed with Portugal’s Environmental Fund. Budgeted at €180,000 and scheduled for completion within 180 days, the project will construct a new agricultural water supply system along the Santo António–Urzelina transversal.
Developed in partnership with the Municipality of Velas, the project will directly serve approximately 134 farms covering nearly one hundred hectares. Central to the initiative is the construction of a 250-cubic-meter steel reservoir, together with a dedicated water distribution point and supporting infrastructure designed to facilitate efficient water delivery to local agricultural operations.
The project also reflects an increasingly important philosophy in modern water management: maximizing existing resources before seeking new ones. Rather than relying on entirely new water sources, the reservoir will be supplied through surplus water already available from the Municipality of Velas’ existing storage facilities. By capturing and redistributing water that would otherwise remain underutilized, the system improves efficiency while reducing unnecessary environmental impact.
Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food António Ventura described the project as another decisive step in the Azores’ broader strategy to strengthen the water resilience of agricultural holdings. As climate change increasingly affects rainfall patterns and water availability across many regions of the world, investments in storage, distribution, and efficient resource management have become indispensable tools for safeguarding agricultural production.
The benefits extend beyond water security alone.
By bringing reliable water sources closer to agricultural operations, the new infrastructure will significantly reduce the distance farmers currently travel to transport water to their properties. Fewer trips mean lower fuel consumption, reduced operating costs, less wear on equipment, and a measurable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with agricultural activity. In this way, investments in water infrastructure simultaneously strengthen economic competitiveness and advance environmental sustainability.
The São Jorge project also completes a broader regional initiative financed through Portugal’s Environmental Fund. Under the protocol, ten separate water infrastructure projects have now been launched across the archipelago. Nine are already under construction, while the São Jorge tender marks the final component of the program. Of the one million euros allocated by the Environmental Fund, contracts totaling more than €951,000—approximately ninety-five percent of the available funding—have already been awarded.
Although these investments may appear modest when viewed individually, collectively they represent an important shift in how the Azores prepare for the future. Agriculture on islands has always depended upon careful stewardship of limited natural resources. Today, however, that stewardship must also anticipate increasingly complex climatic realities.
The resilience of Azorean agriculture will not depend solely on the fertility of its volcanic soils or the skill of its farmers. It will increasingly depend on the Region’s capacity to invest in modern infrastructure that allows rural communities to adapt, conserve resources, and remain competitive without compromising the natural landscapes that make the Azores unique.
Water has always shaped life in these islands.
Today, it is also helping shape their future.
Adapted from a story in Diário Insular-José Lourenço, director. Photos from Casa Agrícola Soares, on Terceira Island.
