Portugal presents 'Água que Une' strategy at desertification COP17

At the water management forum of COP17, the UN desertification conference held in Mongolia, Portugal's ICNF regional director Carlos Albuquerque highlighted the national strategy "Água que Une" as central to drought prevention. The plan involves total investment of five billion euros through 2030, of which around two billion has already been secured, aimed at improving water efficiency in public supply, agriculture and tourism. Albuquerque also stressed the need for international cooperation on managing both droughts and floods. Portugal faced significant drought between 2024 and 2025, and over 60% of the country was at drought risk in July 2026.