crown

Subscribe Now

FOLLOW US

Sign in

Photos: Portugal seduces parched investors with water

The largest artificial lake in the European Union, the 250 square km Alqueva, irrigates an area the size of Los Angeles, luring foreign investors to Portugal at a time when climate change is fanning droughts from California to northern Europe. European fruit growers, Spanish olive oil makers, almond and berry farmers from California and Chile, and many others are moving in to rival local farmers on these irrigated lands, whose prices soared by 50% in the past five years. It has also boosted income and jobs in the most disadvantaged region of Western Europe's poorest country.

Updated on: Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM IST

Share via

Copy link

1/11

Rows of sunflowers are seen on a cereal intensive farm near Portel, Portugal. As wildfires scorched California yet again this summer, Jose Dariush Leal da Costa, a Bay Area native with Portuguese roots, was harvesting his first almonds in a sun-drenched, watery oasis in southern Portugal. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

Rows of sunflowers are seen on a cereal intensive farm near Portel, Portugal. As wildfires scorched California yet again this summer, Jose Dariush Leal da Costa, a Bay Area native with Portuguese roots, was harvesting his first almonds in a sun-drenched, watery oasis in southern Portugal. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

2/11

The largest artificial lake in the European Union, the 250 square km Alqueva, irrigates an area the size of Los Angeles, luring foreign investors at a time when climate change is fanning droughts from California to northern Europe. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

The largest artificial lake in the European Union, the 250 square km Alqueva, irrigates an area the size of Los Angeles, luring foreign investors at a time when climate change is fanning droughts from California to northern Europe. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

3/11

A cereal plantation is seen on an intensive farm near Evora, Portugal. European fruit growers, Spanish olive oil makers, almond and berry farmers from California and Chile, and many others are moving in to rival local farmers on these irrigated lands, whose prices soared by 50% in the past five years. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

A cereal plantation is seen on an intensive farm near Evora, Portugal. European fruit growers, Spanish olive oil makers, almond and berry farmers from California and Chile, and many others are moving in to rival local farmers on these irrigated lands, whose prices soared by 50% in the past five years. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

4/11

Old men play cards on a street in Amieira, Portugal. The 5 billion euro ($5.8 billion) irrigation project on the River Guadiana, begun two decades ago to revive a region at risk of desertification, is only now reaching its initial design capacity and there are plans to expand it further. It has also boosted income and jobs in the most disadvantaged region of Western Europe’s poorest country. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

Old men play cards on a street in Amieira, Portugal. The 5 billion euro ($5.8 billion) irrigation project on the River Guadiana, begun two decades ago to revive a region at risk of desertification, is only now reaching its initial design capacity and there are plans to expand it further. It has also boosted income and jobs in the most disadvantaged region of Western Europe’s poorest country. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

5/11

During a trip to the United States in June, Prime Minister Antonio Costa invited investors in California, to set up shop around Alqueva in a pitch that played on global warming concerns. “It was very effective. In California, land is very expensive and water is very scarce. If you have affordable land and tenable, affordable water, these are the incentives people need,” said Rusty Areias, a former California Assemblyman turned investor. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

During a trip to the United States in June, Prime Minister Antonio Costa invited investors in California, to set up shop around Alqueva in a pitch that played on global warming concerns. “It was very effective. In California, land is very expensive and water is very scarce. If you have affordable land and tenable, affordable water, these are the incentives people need,” said Rusty Areias, a former California Assemblyman turned investor. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

6/11

Areias visited Alqueva and is talking to the government about water rights for US investment, while encouraging farmers in parched Fresno county to diversify to Portugal, which is “uncongested and a lot like California was in the 1950s”. Seeking to boost economic growth after being hit by crisis in 2011, Portugal provides cheap loans and incentives to investors ready to spend more than 500,000 euros and create jobs. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

Areias visited Alqueva and is talking to the government about water rights for US investment, while encouraging farmers in parched Fresno county to diversify to Portugal, which is “uncongested and a lot like California was in the 1950s”. Seeking to boost economic growth after being hit by crisis in 2011, Portugal provides cheap loans and incentives to investors ready to spend more than 500,000 euros and create jobs. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

7/11

Water levels create different colours on the dam at the Alqueva reservoir. Other Portuguese regions want similar irrigation projects, but Alqueva is unlikely to face competition from new schemes as EU rules that require sufficient clean water supplies for human needs have largely halted damming for agriculture. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

Water levels create different colours on the dam at the Alqueva reservoir. Other Portuguese regions want similar irrigation projects, but Alqueva is unlikely to face competition from new schemes as EU rules that require sufficient clean water supplies for human needs have largely halted damming for agriculture. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

8/11

Alqueva has faced environmental complaints, green groups warning that the flooded areas would destroy wildlife habitats, while intensive agriculture would pollute groundwater and soil. Areas irrigated by Alqueva now stretch almost from the Atlantic coast to the Spanish border, creating what state firm EDIA’s chief Jose Salema calls “a green barrier to desertification”. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

Alqueva has faced environmental complaints, green groups warning that the flooded areas would destroy wildlife habitats, while intensive agriculture would pollute groundwater and soil. Areas irrigated by Alqueva now stretch almost from the Atlantic coast to the Spanish border, creating what state firm EDIA’s chief Jose Salema calls “a green barrier to desertification”. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

9/11

Olives remain the area’s main crop, with yields that are four times the operating cost. Alqueva boosted olive oil output in Portugal, to a record 147 million litres last year. “There are more jobs, new crops, which is always great for the region,” said local farmer Helder Martins, whose beekeeping business has improved since almond growers started hiring his hives to pollinate trees. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

Olives remain the area’s main crop, with yields that are four times the operating cost. Alqueva boosted olive oil output in Portugal, to a record 147 million litres last year. “There are more jobs, new crops, which is always great for the region,” said local farmer Helder Martins, whose beekeeping business has improved since almond growers started hiring his hives to pollinate trees. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

10/11

Unemployment in the wider Alentejo region around Alqueva fell more sharply than anywhere else in Portugal last year to below the average national level, dropping to 8.4%. Almond plantations in the area doubled in size last year, with foreign investors dominating new plantings. Fruit plantations have also expanded strongly helped by investment from Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

Unemployment in the wider Alentejo region around Alqueva fell more sharply than anywhere else in Portugal last year to below the average national level, dropping to 8.4%. Almond plantations in the area doubled in size last year, with foreign investors dominating new plantings. Fruit plantations have also expanded strongly helped by investment from Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

11/11

A man waits for sunset at a viewpoint at Alqueva reservoir. But nowhere may escape the impact of global warming for long. Portugal had its own deadly fires last year after a three-year drought, with a big blaze south of Alqueva this year. In a scenario of more frequent and longer droughts, an expanded Alqueva may no longer be sustainable by 2030-2040, requiring tough conservation efforts. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Updated on Sep 02, 2018 12:15 PM

A man waits for sunset at a viewpoint at Alqueva reservoir. But nowhere may escape the impact of global warming for long. Portugal had its own deadly fires last year after a three-year drought, with a big blaze south of Alqueva this year. In a scenario of more frequent and longer droughts, an expanded Alqueva may no longer be sustainable by 2030-2040, requiring tough conservation efforts. (Rafael Marchante / REUTERS)

Related Photos

Home/Photos/News/Photos: Portugal Seduces Parched Investors With Water