Causas de Raiz

Causas de Raiz is a citizen-run, independent and non-profit project that maps environmental conflicts across mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores. As of late September 2026, it lists 101 documented cases, each backed by cited sources and updated weekly. The map covers a wide range of fronts: mining, wind and solar energy, water, land-use planning, real estate, beaches, industrial infrastructure, data centres, wildfires, pollution and environmental racism. Cases range from a pellet factory contested in Cercal do Alentejo, to a proposed dam on the Mondego river at Girabolhos, to a luxury resort closing public beach access in Melides, to families evicted without rehousing in Almada, and a Roma community in Beja living without water or sanitation for two decades. Each entry is built around a practical path to action: a petition to sign, an open public consultation, a court process to follow, or the specific government body (SEPNA, ICNF, IGAMAOT and others) with the power to intervene. Users can filter cases by region, theme or current status, whether a petition is active, a consultation is open, or a court case is underway. The project rests on a simple premise: those who defend the land also defend the people who live on it, so environmental struggles cannot be separated from social ones. Content is organised around an interactive map and a searchable directory, with updates shared through the @terraaguafloresta Instagram account and the causasderaiz.org website. Contact is available at geral@causasderaiz.org.