ANP | WWF – Associação Natureza Portugal
ANP | WWF is a Portuguese environmental NGO working in association with WWF to conserve nature, restore ecosystems and influence environment…
Wetland Protection
Where land meets water, life multiplies: the Ria Formosa lagoon, the dunes defended by Associação Dunas Livres, and heritage guardians like ALMARGEM in the Algarve. Protecting Portugal's richest, most fragile habitats.
Projects in this focus
Movimento Estrela Viva
Movimento Estrela Viva is a non-partisan, non-profit citizen movement born after the 2017 wildfires, dedicated to protecting and restoring t…
Oceano Azul Foundation
An international foundation based in Lisbon that works on ocean conservation through science, policy advocacy and collaboration with decisio…
Associação Dunas Livres
A Portuguese citizen movement campaigning to preserve the wild dunes, lagoons and wetlands of the Costa Azul, from Tróia to Melides, against…
FAPAS – Associação Portuguesa para a Conservação da Biodiversidade
FAPAS is a long-standing Portuguese NGO for biodiversity conservation. It manages protected natural areas and runs education and advocacy pr…
GEOTA
GEOTA (Grupo de Estudos de Ordenamento do Território e Ambiente) is a national non-profit environmental NGO, active since 1981, working on e…
Ria Formosa Wetland Protection
The Ria Formosa Natural Park is a protected coastal wetland running 60 km along the Algarve, with wildlife that includes flamingos, seahorse…
Associação ALMARGEM
ALMARGEM is a non-governmental, non-profit environmental association dedicated to defending the natural, historical, and cultural heritage o…
RIAS/ALDEIA
RIAS/ALDEIA is a wildlife recovery and research centre at Quinta de Marim in Olhão, within the Ria Formosa Natural Park, which rescues and r…
Wetland protection in Portugal
The Portuguese wetlands are squeezed from two sides: upstream by irrigation and dams that hold back the water, and at the shore by tourism that wants to build on the last open ground. The Ria Formosa is the clearest case of both.
RIAS runs a wildlife recovery centre inside the Ria Formosa park at Olhão. ALMARGEM defends the Algarve landscape, GEOTA works on land-use policy nationally, FAPAS manages protected areas in the north, and Associação Dunas Livres is the citizens' movement fighting for the dunes and lagoons around Grândola.
Much of this is legal and planning work rather than fieldwork, which means public consultations matter, those get announced, and turning up counts. See also marine conservation, habitat restoration and water conservation. Dated activities from these projects are listed in our events calendar.