The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stated in Horta that the Azores Hydrographic Network Management Plan (PGRH) 2016-2021 should be the main strategy in the sustained planning and management of the archipelago's water resources. In this regard, she stressed that the document aims to achieve good results in the status of water bodies by 2027.
 
Marta Guerreiro spoke at the Legislative Assembly stressed that this Plan is a planning tool that is based on the relation between the assessment of the status of water bodies, the identification of pressures and the development of programmes and measures to mitigate them.
 
The Regional Secretariat for the Environment assured that the Regional Government will continue the work already developed, focusing on a preventive component. She stressed that "the positive evolution of the quality of water bodies in the Region, which have reached their best status in the last years, is indeed encouraging."
 
In her speech, Marta Guerreiro said the Government aims to achieve "a sustainable management of natural resources for the purpose of safeguarding the environment."
 
"We can say there are surface water bodies in poor condition," she said, adding that about 30% are in good condition and about 40% are classified as excellent. In the case of groundwater bodies, 94% are in good condition.
 
"Water needs for the Hydrographic Network of the Azores are at 22.9 cubic hectometres per year. According to the estimated results, the Hydrographic Network has an overall water availability of about 2,228 cubic hectometres. This is enough to meet the estimated needs," said Marta Guerreiro. In this context, the government official made a positive balance between the needs and water availability in the Region.
 
The PGRH-Açores has been prepared in accordance with the Water Framework Directive (WFD), transposed into national law by the Water Act, with the aim of reaching the good status of water bodies by 2027.
 
This plan features nine hydrographic sub-basins, corresponding to each of the islands of the archipelago, covering an area of 10,045 km2 that comprises 63 surface water bodies (10 of which are streams, 23 are crater lakes, 27 are in coastal waters and three are in transition areas) and 54 groundwater bodies. Artificial water bodies or strongly modified water bodies have not been identified.

"The program consists of 47 measures: 18 base measures and 29 supplementary measures. The associated cost amounts to about to 79 million Euros, of which 40 million Euros will be allocated to base measure and 39 million Euros to supplementary measures," said Marta Guerreiro. The government official also highlighted the high priority status to 34 measures, intermediate priority to 10 measures and reduced priority to three measures; 12 concern specific measures for some water bodies and the remaining 35 have a general scope."
 
For Marta Guerreiro, the document presented by the Government, approved today at the Legislative Assembly, "continues the goals set out in the Programme of the XII Regional Government. It defends the implementation of the Management Plan of the Hydrographic Region of the Azores 2016-2021 as a water resource planning tool, but also a land management tool, adopting the sectoral land management plan model."