Updated National Water Sector Strategy (NWSS) 2020 - Volume IV.

This updated NWSS is aligned with the National Water Sector Strategy of 2012. It takes into account the adoption of the Water Code (Law 77/2018) and its structuring principles, which are in turn in line with the water sector structure as defined by Law 221/2000 and its amendments. The new Strategy consists of VI Volumes, of which this is Volume IV concerning the Water sector current situation.
This Volume analyzes the situation of the water sources available for drinking and irrigation, namely: (i) surface water (springs and rivers); (ii) groundwater (wells); and (iii) surface storage (dams). The NWSS aims to identify the projects that need to be implemented to cover the population's needs regarding drinking water, wastewater, and water for irrigation. Since this Strategy is not to target the current needs, but the needs in 2035, it is necessary to assess the future population and conditions per capita (for potable water) to identify relevant solutions and propose cost-effective projects. Regarding the criteria for irrigation water needs assessment, the target of this Strategy is to address the following (i) develop water resources by increasing water harvesting thru promoting hill lakes and small dam construction; (ii) rehabilitate and modernize existing irrigation infrastructure to reduce water losses and improve water efficiency by (a) upgrading water catchment and deviation structures, (b) repairing concrete broken structures, (c) gradual conversion of open channel systems into the pressurized piped system to modernize on-farm irrigation systems; (iii) accelerate wastewater treatment strategies in conjunction with crops selection adoption criteria; (iv) perform detailed study for each existing irrigation scheme to assess the existing condition and identify, select, quantify and price all necessary actions and works needed to upgrade and modernize the selected scheme.