Work done for the COMENIUS Project Living by the sea

1. COMENIUS Project Living by the sea
IS THE CLIMATE CHANGING
IN THE ALGARVE?

2. 30
Average Air Temperature in Faro (ºC)
25
20
1990
15
2000
2009
10
5
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
From 1990 to 2009 there were no significant changes in average air temperature in
the city of Faro. In these three years the average annual temperature is 18. º C.
June and December 2000 and 2009 were warmer months, when compared with
the year 1990.
October and November 2009 were also warmer months compared to 1990 and 2000.
Instead, February 2009 was quite cold compared with the other two years under
study .

3. TOURISM AND CLIMATE CHANGES
What are the implications that climate
change will have on tourism?
The climate changes can
have implications on the
Portuguese tourism, it might
lower the number of visitants in
summer, due to July and August
being hot months, mainly in
the Algarve, but it could create
new opportunities for tourism
in winter.

4. TOURISM AND CLIMATE CHANGES
In the District of Faro, climate change might further decrease
the number of months with any degree of "heat stress" by cold,
being the largest reduction felt in January, the month with
more "stress" extreme cold days. It may therefore be reinforced
the growing trend of winter tourism in the Algarve, particularly
among the elderly population.

5. CONSEQUENCES OF THE INCREASED AIR
TEMPERATURE
Formation of Tropospheric Ozone
In Portugal the deaths related to the "heat waves "and the increase
in respiratory illnesses due to increases in tropospheric ozone levels
will be worse in the end of the century.

6. CONSEQUENCES OF THE INCREASED AIR
TEMPERATURE
Risk of disease
The potential risks of
development of infectious
diseases transmitted by
mosquitoes or rodents are also
increased due to changes in
ecological systems. Among
these diseases, currently with a
very low risk of transmission,
are malaria and West Nile fever.

7. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE RAISING
TEMPERATURES ON THE OCEAN
Fisherman and scientists have
found in the Algarve, namely in
the Formosa estuary, fish
species that usually have their
habitat in waters with
temperatures of 20ºC, which
may indicate that water
temperatures in the Algarve
have been increasing.

8. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE RAISING
TEMPERATURES ON THE OCEAN
The raising temperature in the oceans is making the fishes look for colder and
deeper waters migrating to the north, while tropical fishes are starting to come to
Portugal.
But these changes will probably bring better value to fishing than harm it, though
it will surely make species more vulnerable.
In the meanwhile if we keep eating too much fish it could endanger them to
extinction like the tuna fish, the bass fish, the sardines, the mackerel, etc.

9. Marine Fauna
The scabbard fish is generally caught
in the summer due to the water
temperature. With its increase, it
will be possible to fish it for a longer
period thus leading to a growth of
The fish Veja, that is usually only this species in the Algarve,
seen in the Azores, Madeira and becoming a good business
the Mediterranean, is the opportunity.
example of a species that usually
has its habitat in waters with
temperatures of 20 º C.
With the increase in water
temperature it begins to be
normal the appearance of this
and other species in the Algarve.

10. Marine Fauna
The snapper, which is a
tropical fish, has been seen
more often in the Formosa
estuary and close to River
Tejo also because the
temperature of water is
indreasing,

11. Marine Flora
The Marine Flora is
increasingly disappearing
beneath the River Tejo
and more specifically in
the Algarve.
•The seascape algae are very important to the marine ecosystems, because they
contribute to raise its biodiversity. They are photosynthetic algae (they consume
carbon dioxide and they produce oxygen).
• Most of the seascape algae can be found fixed to the rocks and they can grow
associated to other plants. They often get associated together, protecting the coast,
acting as “wave-breakers”.

12. Marine Flora
Each time more, the luminaries are disappearing
from the south of Portugal, being only found in the
northern part of the River Tejo.
•Some students from the Algarve University indicate
that some flora that normally appears in the
Algarve's waters as the luminaries (brown algae), are
disappearing.
The luminaries are species that are localized on
colder waters.

13. THE DECREASE OF THE RAIN
DURING THE SUMMER
After a study coordinated by Filipe Duarte Santos, it has been
concluded that there has been a deterioration in water quality in the
Algarve. This degradation is due to increased temperatures and
reduced runoff in the summer months.

14. The consequences…
It doesn’t rain much, so there is a
decrease on the levels of the
aquifers, turning them more
vulnerable to agricultural pollution
and the increase of the saline
pollution. This happens because a
coastal aquifer that has sweet
water doesn’t let the salt water
pass, but because it doesn’t rain
much and the earth filters less Coastal aquifer
water there is less sweet water, so
the salt water starts turning sweet
water into brackish water which is
impropriate for consumption.

15. RAINFALL & FLOODING
Rain in the winter
In the future the rain will become
irregular and violent, with some
features of the tropical rainfall.
The risk of floods will also
increase by the end of the 21st
century.

16. RAINFALL & FLOODING
Sea
It is expected that the average
sea level will rise in a near
future.
That fact will contribute to
increase the floods because
the flow capacity of the
mouths of the major rivers will
decrease.

17. EBI/JI José Carlos da Maia
We hope that you have enjoyed this presentation as much as we enjoyed doing
it, and that you understand what is happening in the Algarve NOW.

18. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Temperature data provided by Instituto de Meteorologia, I.P.
•http://www.hibridosclube.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1
39:algarve-e-as-alteracoes-climaticas&catid=34:ambiente&Itemid=56
•http://www.arhalgarve.pt/site/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=31
•http://www.novaenergia.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=10267
“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the
information contained therein.”