Figueira Gorda Hydro-agricultural Scheme

Figueira Gorda Hydro-agricultural Scheme is located to the east of Santiago Island, in the municipality of Santa Cruz in Cape Verde.

This scheme, with an equipped area of around 105 hectares in the areas of Achada Bel-Bel, Boaventura, Cancelo and Santa Cruz, will benefit from an irrigation network originating from the Figueira Gorda dam.

In the area of influence of the Figueira Gorda dam, 71 rural properties were identified, with the majority of rural properties (60.6%) having an area of less than 1.0 ha, representing 13.9% of the total area of influence. Of the rural properties with the largest area, the properties of Sonho de Ontem and Justino Lopes, formerly the largest agricultural company in Cape Verde, stand out.

The water stored in the reservoir will be supplied through a pipeline in FFd DN 300 mm, passing HDPE DN 225 mm and HDPE DN 160 mm until reaching the Monte Preto reservoir, along which are the bypasses for the secondary irrigation networks which will feed about 63.6 ha.

The secondary irrigation network has 5,926 meters of HDPE conduits with variable diameters, between DN 75 mm and DN 200 mm.

The water will be supplied under pressure to farmers and will be previously filtered through sand filters, which will guarantee an adequate degree of cleanliness for localized irrigation.