Dredging work is underway at Porto Santo's harbor, aiming to remedy historical engineering errors dating back to the port's construction in 1984. The removed sediments are being placed in a Blue Flag zone, intending to restore the natural sediment flow and add volume to the protective dune.
The original issue arose during the port's construction when the building firm removed stones from the beach and dune base for construction material. This action left the dune base unprotected, leading to continuous erosion. The port's entrance orientation, designed in the seventies, is identified as a fundamental error, failing to utilize the island's natural protection and leaving the entrance exposed to storms and aggressive swell.
Current interventions involve adding loose sand to mitigate erosion effects, but experts warn this is a temporary fix if not accompanied by stabilization measures like vegetation planting or the installation of fences. Approximately 70 truckloads of excavated material are expected to be removed.
