Barragem do Pisão Works Suspended Again

Environmental associations secured a decision from the Central Administrative Court South in Portugal to suspend construction on the Pisão Dam near Crato, in the Portalegre district. The court reversed a prior ruling that had temporarily allowed work to resume. The Grupo de Estudos de Ordenamento do Território e Ambiente (GEOTA) stated the decision reinstates the provisional suspension of work.

The Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo, responsible for the project, confirmed the suspension. They clarified the court’s decision centers on a procedural matter—how the environmental associations presented their appeal—not on the dam’s technical or legal merits. The community emphasized the project’s importance for water access and regional development, noting the delay impacts residents and farmers.

The dam, budgeted at over 220 million euros, will flood the village of Pisão and cover roughly 10,000 hectares. Though funded by the Sustainable 2030 program, the case now returns to the first instance court for further review.