Africa-Press – Cape verde. Civil engineer and researcher Verónica Pires warned this Friday of the growing risks facing the water supply system in Cape Verde due to climate change, high network losses, and uncontrolled urban growth.
According to Pires, these factors could seriously compromise water availability in the near future, especially in the city of Praia, where “rapid and uncontrolled urbanization” is occurring.
The specialist, who is developing a doctoral thesis on multi-risk water supply systems at the University of Aveiro, presented preliminary results of the study, which indicate that decreasing rainfall and rising temperatures are reducing groundwater recharge, making desalination even more crucial for supply.
The researcher added that, in addition to natural limitations, the existing infrastructure exacerbates the situation, with aging pipes, constant breaks, and “significant losses” of water before it reaches consumers, a situation that requires zone-based management and causes long periods without supply.
“If much of the water produced is lost in the network, we end up working hard to have little. The system must become resilient to climate change,” she said.
Verónica Pires also advocated for greater collaboration between researchers and policymakers, considering that technical and scientific knowledge can accelerate structural solutions.
These statements were made to Inforpress on the sidelines of a technical conference held today by the Order of Engineers of Cape Verde at the University of Santiago in Assomada, dedicated to the theme of “water for sustainable development.”
Therefore, the president of the Order of Engineers of Cape Verde, Carlos Sousa Monteiro, emphasized that the initiative aims to strengthen national technical capacity and respond to challenges related to water, agriculture, and energy.
The meeting included discussions on dams, the water-energy nexus, and management models that reduce losses, protect public health, and ensure continuous supply—a challenge that, according to experts, can no longer be postponed.
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