Associação Zero: Girabolhos Dam Announcement is "Untimely and Manipulative"

Portugal - Ekhbary News Agency

Associação Zero: Girabolhos Dam Announcement is "Untimely and Manipulative"

In a strong statement, the Portuguese environmental organization ZERO has denounced the government's recent announcement concerning the Girabolhos dam project, characterizing it as "untimely and manipulative." The organization further elaborated that the proposed infrastructure constitutes "a false solution, technically questionable, and politically instrumentalized at a time of great fragility for the affected populations." This criticism comes in direct response to the Portuguese government's declaration that it has tasked the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) with launching the public tender for the construction and operation of the Girabolhos dam by the end of March.

ZERO expressed regret that this measure is being presented as a solution to the flooding problem in the Mondego river basin, particularly at a moment when the Coimbra region is grappling with the immediate consequences of extreme precipitation events. The environmental group maintains that such large-scale hydraulic infrastructure demands rigorous analysis and decision-making processes grounded in updated, comprehensive studies. These studies, ZERO insists, must encompass hydrology, land-use planning, cost-benefit analyses, and environmental impact assessments, all conducted independently of the emotional context stirred by recent events.

The organization emphatically stated that such projects "cannot and must never be replaced by misleading political announcements in a crisis context." ZERO highlighted that the multi-year lifecycle of such a dam project—encompassing design, environmental assessment, financing, and construction—means it cannot possibly address the immediate needs of populations affected by current emergencies. Presenting it as an emergency solution, therefore, is deemed illogical.

Elaborating on why the dam would not effectively solve flooding issues, ZERO cited precipitation data from February 3rd to 12th at the Mangualde/Chão de Tavares meteorological station, located near the proposed dam site. During this nine-day period, accumulated rainfall reached 315.6 liters per square meter. Applying this figure to the dam's associated catchment area of 980 km² (less than 15% of the total Mondego river basin), the potential water volume generated is approximately 309.3 million cubic meters. This volume significantly exceeds the dam's total storage capacity of 244.7 million cubic meters (comprising 193 million m³ for Girabolhos and 51.7 million m³ in the Bogueira counter-reservoir).

ZERO concluded that even under an idealized scenario of total water retention—which is practically impossible—the dam could theoretically fill up in about seven days during a similar rainfall event. This calculation underscores the inadequacy of the dam as a long-term flood control measure for the entire basin, especially given the scale of recent precipitation.

Consequently, the organization advocates for prioritizing "immediate response measures, population protection, and rapid impact mitigation." ZERO insists that any consideration of fundamental solutions should occur within a proper temporal framework, characterized by technical detachment and genuine public participation. This approach, they argue, is crucial to avoid the risk of making wrong and irreversible choices driven by the emotional urgency of a crisis moment. The focus, according to ZERO, should be on sustainable, evidence-based solutions that respect both environmental integrity and the immediate safety of the communities.

Ekhbary News Agency