Catchment consultation for water management: The case of two Portuguese reservoirs with different water quality

Abstract

This paper describes and compares the results of a survey questionnaire developed to gather information from catchment populations of two Portuguese reservoirs with different water quality: Divor and Apartadura Reservoirs. The questions included a qualitative investigation of the key issues relevant to water management by using strengths‐weaknesses‐opportunities‐threats (SWOT) analysis. The results of the study indicate that the relationship between the reservoir ecosystem and the socio‐demographic environment was particular to each site: Divor respondents stressed the need of water quality restoration and sustainable farming, in order to encourage on‐site recreational activities and tourism infrastructure; Apartadura respondents referred to the importance of reservoir ecosystem preservation, in order to also promote local investment in services related to tourism and on‐site recreational activities.