Foundation warns Portugal's nature restoration plan needs long-term guardians

Portugal is preparing its first National Nature Restoration Plan, with 407 measures across eight domains and an estimated €500 million a year in investment until 2030, responding to EU Regulation 2024/1991. Ivan Sellers, president of the Fundação Terra Agora, says the plan's real test is whether restored land stays cared for once funding cycles, projects and political mandates end. He argues this requires long-term legal instruments such as surface rights, dedicated local guardians, diversified financing and continued monitoring beyond 2030, warning that measuring only hectares treated or money spent risks rewarding execution rather than lasting ecological results.