Portugal unveils €46m drainage plan to curb Albufeira flooding

Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho announced that the Albufeira General Drainage Plan, long pursued by the municipality, will now be led by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), with around €46 million funded through the Sustentável 2030 programme. The plan's main work is a 1.5km tunnel, now costed at €33 million, to divert the Albufeira stream directly to the sea and ease flooding in the city's low-lying areas, which suffered severe floods in 2015. The minister also announced a €3 million project for the Funcho Dam and a separate €16 million coastal protection intervention covering about 8.5km of Albufeira's shoreline.