Farmland birds in decline
An SPEA report spanning 2004-2025 shows forest and urban birds improving while farmland species keep declining under biodiversity pressure.
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Seven days of the Pulse, curated into one weekly read.
Pulse
22 July 2026
Good morning. Today Portugal's sustainability pulse leans on the Volta deposit system's milestones and growing pains, alongside quieter wins for nature, energy and local life.
First field guide to Portugal's turtles
Palombar released the country's first free field guide on freshwater turtles, with an identification key for its two native species.
Turtles and other nature notes
The new turtle guide appears alongside a bird report, WWF's Tejo project and a moth inventory in Loulé.
Shelters for seahorses in the Tejo
WWF Portugal and MARDIVE began installing underwater shelters in Trafaria bay to protect threatened seahorse populations.
Ecology PhD prizes awarded
SPECO honoured three researchers for work on kelp forests, freshwater conservation and marine megafauna monitoring.
Reusing grid links for renewables
An Ember report notes Portugal and Spain already have rules to add wind and solar at existing hydro sites, speeding integration.
Cutting dependence on critical raw materials
NOVA FCT researchers propose a 'self-sufficiency index' and European alternatives for materials used in batteries and solar panels.
New rules for renewable gas grid connections
ERSE opened a public consultation on how to share the costs of connecting renewable gas producers to the public network.
Regulating hydrogen refuelling stations
The Environment Ministry launched a consultation on technical rules for hydrogen stations to support hard-to-electrify transport.
Boosting energy literacy
ADENE and Lightsource bp signed a protocol to promote energy literacy in schools, communities and industry.
Beira Baixa questions renewable zones
The intermunicipal community criticised the renewable acceleration zones plan, asking for occupation limits and local benefits.
Algarve energy transition debated
Luzigás and CAB Engenharia hosted Algarve Sunset 360, presenting solutions in solar, storage and electric mobility.
Wasting €25 million in nutrients yearly
ZERO warns Portugal spends heavily on imported fertilisers while wasting nutrients to landfill, urging a circular nutrient cycle.
€25 million Xévora irrigation opens
The Campo Maior scheme brings water to 1,560 hectares of Alentejo farmland after decades of waiting.
Donkeys against wildfires
Parliament recommends including donkeys in grazing support to reduce fuel load and prevent rural fires.
Azores farmers meet EU committee
The Azores Farming Federation defended POSEI and warned of shipping costs in talks with the European Parliament.
A family vegetable producer's model
Simples & Frescas farms around 60 hectares directly and works with partners to reach over 200 hectares.
ISA modernises agricultural science
The institute added AI, robotics and data science to its curricula, reaching near-full graduate employability.
Algarve gets a quarter of cliff funding
The PARL 2040 plan earmarks €26.7 million for urgent Algarve cliff interventions, led by Albufeira and Portimão.
Summer recycling push in the Algarve
APA's 'Vamos Lixar o Lixo' campaign brings a mobile exhibition to Portimão to promote waste separation in peak season.
New platform for packaging R&D
Sociedade Ponto Verde launched a digital platform to fund research on packaging and packaging waste.
Greening Coimbra's Papa roundabout
Coimbra approved a €3 million redesign to cut car space and add permeable and shaded areas at the João Paulo II square.
First families in Coimbra's new neighbourhood
Coimbra handed over the first 56 rental contracts in the PRR-funded Quinta das Bicas project for families in need.
Affordable housing in Viana do Castelo
The article weighs Viana do Castelo's appeal against the pressing need for affordable housing for residents.
New public housing in Madeira
Madeira's IHM advances housing projects in São Gonçalo and Courelas, with more than a hundred new homes planned.
Sintra earns 13 Green Key awards
Sintra won 13 Green Key 2026 awards recognising sustainable tourist accommodation practices.
New trails at Casa do Corim
LIPOR's sustainability venue launched historical and nature circuits, guided or self-guided by prior booking.
Upcycling to transform territories
A textile designer shares how the Al-Bauhaus Academy and the 'Fios do Sul' residency in Silves link sustainability and creativity.
Flavours of other times in Quarteira
Loulé's museum offers a themed visit at the old fish market linking food, natural resources and local history.
Fighting invasive plants in Valença
Valença marks World Nature Conservation Day with a free workshop on controlling invasive acacias on 28 July.
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A short read every morning — what's happening across sustainable Portugal.
Recent
- Good morning. Today the wild side of Portugal takes the lead — a heavy bird, a night-flying moth and a lithium mine that keeps dividing a valley — before we settle into markets, mid-August fairs and one wooden lunchbox that goes straight into the oven.
- Bom dia. Today's Pulse leans towards land and water: fire prevention on the commons, a contested farm in the Alentejo, solar plans weighed against habitats, and a good handful of gentler things to do before the summer slips away.
- Good morning. Today the Gerês keeps the country talking, solar quietly takes the lead in our electricity mix, and there is honey, wheat and a sea hare along the way.
- Good morning. Today's Pulse looks at wolves and monk seals, cork festivals and shared bicycles, plus a solar eclipse that will briefly dim the country's panels.
- Good morning. Today's Pulse looks at nature restoration promises waiting to be kept, two islands testing what their technology and their vines can do, and new homes opening their doors from the Azores to Celorico de Basto.
- Good morning. Today's Pulse leans towards water and waste: a record-dry July, urgent repairs beneath Leiria, and a region rethinking where its rubbish goes.
- Good morning. Today's Pulse is shaped by water — a dry July, planned cuts and new investment — alongside grape growers making their voices heard, and small community projects quietly showing what circular living can look like.
- Good morning. Today's Pulse takes in wildfire prevention and water use, a giant frog made of rubbish in Ponte de Lima, salt marshes turned into laboratories, and quiet steps towards cleaner transport across the country.
- Good morning. Today's Pulse leans towards water, wildfire and wild things: protection plans for six Azorean islands, rabbits returning to the Côa, and a steady drumbeat of energy and water investment across the country.
- Bom dia. Today's Pulse runs from estuary protection and reservoir levels to a deposit-return deadline that lands next week, with a few small delights along the way.