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.
The European Coordination Via Campesina says smallholders and livestock keepers in southern Europe, Portugal included, are bearing a disproportionate share of the fires, droughts and heatwaves, made worse by unequal access to water. Alongside emergency support, it calls for a shift towards agroecology to make food systems more resilient.
A Gouveia councillor writes that two years after the 155-million-euro revitalisation programme for the Serra da Estrela Natural Park was approved, only a small share of the measures has been carried out and the funding remains uncertain. She argues the region needs a permanent, integrated vision rather than reaction to each fire.
Near Alcácer do Sal, a scaled-down intensive plantation has been conditionally approved after ICNF and APA reversed earlier objections, despite near-unanimous public opposition and warnings about aquifer depletion and land subsidence. The developer points to a smaller footprint and conservation measures; critics say they will keep challenging the decision.
Rewilding Portugal argues that the energy transition only counts as green if it protects habitats too, warning that large renewable projects can fragment landscapes and sever ecological corridors. It cites the SOPHIA solar project in the Beira Baixa and calls for ecologically grounded spatial planning and stricter impact assessments.
The public consultation on the scoping stage of the Cereiro solar plant's environmental impact study closed with 246 contributions. The project, linked to hybridising the Bemposta hydroelectric plant, foresees 104 MWp across a 532-hectare study area between Mogadouro and Miranda do Douro, plus a new high-voltage line.
Boars are coming into Setúbal's riverside neighbourhoods at night in search of food, turning over bins and digging up gardens, and residents are uneasy. The council and ICNF are due to meet over who is responsible for capturing animals in urban areas; meanwhile people are advised to keep their distance and secure food waste.
For the stage crossing the Mata da Albergaria in Peneda-Gerês National Park, riders who throw litter on the ground will be disqualified, and the public, support caravan, aerial filming and loudspeakers are all restricted. The measures were approved by ICNF but questioned by Quercus and PAN; the cycling federation frames the crossing as a chance to showcase the area.
The Fundo Ambiental has reprogrammed next year's funding, strengthening support for clearing forest land, urban green spaces, water efficiency and nature conservation. Highlights include four million euros for the Floresta Ativa programme, more help with bottled gas for households on the social tariff, and money for urban ecosystem restoration and carbon sequestration.
A new call under the Centro 2030 programme will fund investments in the urban water cycle — supply and wastewater treatment — by the region's intermunicipal communities, with an eye to climate adaptation, cutting losses and improving water quality. Applications run until 31 August 2027 via the Balcão dos Fundos.
The Azorean parliament has recommended that the regional government assess the island's upland water potential with a view to creating retention ponds. An investment plan would follow, aiming to store more water during the wetter months.
The municipality of Lagoa is replacing 863 conventional street lights with LEDs in Alporchinhos, Mexilhoeira da Carregação, Parchal and Praia do Carvoeiro. It expects energy use to fall by 60 to 70 per cent, with better light quality and the network prepared for remote management later on.
Caminha council is spending just over 18,000 euros repairing underground waste containers in Âncora, Caminha and Vila Praia de Âncora, worn down by constant use. They should be back in place by the middle of September.
A team led by BIOPOLIS CIBIO has installed nearly 40 AudioMoth recorders across northern Portugal to capture how birds, bats and insects respond to the solar eclipse of 12 November. Part of the Spanish EcoEclipse project, it is the first study of its kind in Europe and involves more than a hundred scientists.
An international team led from the University of Cologne has pinned down the genetic mechanism by which some strains of the fungus Verticillium dahliae strip leaves from olive and cotton plants. A protein linked to a mobile genetic element called Starship explains the defoliation, which could help identify the most aggressive strains and breed resistant plants.
The Mediterranean FORECAST project is reintroducing neglected legumes, such as white lupin, into agroforestry systems to build climate resilience. A pilot trial by MORE CoLAB and DEIFIL at the BioLivingLABs in Mirandela is testing lupin as ground cover in a rainfed olive grove, tracking agronomic, ecological and soil-microbe indicators.
Researchers have inserted pig and cattle myoglobin genes into tobacco and lettuce, so the plants produce the animal protein in their chloroplasts. The idea is to extract it from the leaves to improve the colour, flavour and nutrition of plant-based meat alternatives, though the work is still experimental and awaits safety and regulatory review.
The Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra will hold its fourth training and demonstration day on 22 September 2026, within the European EUnetHorse project, on equine welfare and efficient pasture management in studs. Mornings are for technical talks, afternoons for field demonstrations; registration is required.
A government order sets the maximum annual quantities that primary beekeeping units may sell directly to consumers or to retail: 2,250 kg of honey, 750 kg of pollen, 75 kg of bee bread, 25 kg of propolis and 8 kg of royal jelly. It comes into force on Thursday.
A call worth 300,000 euros is open until 30 October 2026 for small bioeconomy and circular economy investments in the GAL AXXI territory, covering parishes in Beja and Mértola. It supports new or modernised processing units at a 50 per cent rate, for investments between 10,000 and 250,000 euros.
D. Teresa's home was renovated under the Oikos project A Minha Casa, with a new roof, doors, windows and flooring. Despite losing her husband and the financial strain that followed, she keeps up the instalments with her children's help; the project plans to fund at least 150 more renovations for low-income families.
São Julião, Magoito, Maçãs, Grande and Adraga have all been awarded the Blue Flag for the 2026 bathing season, with some also carrying the Accessible Beach mark and Quercus's Gold Quality seal. The ceremony at São Julião included handing over new beach equipment.
On 21 and 29 August the gardens of the Queluz National Palace open after dark for À Noite no Jardim, this time devoted to bats and marking International Bat Night. Biologist Mário Carmo leads a talk and a two-hour walk with an ultrasound detector; booking required, tickets 13.50 to 15 euros.
Athletes from the Clube Náutico de Arcos de Valdevez returned to the banks of the Rio Vez for their customary post-festival clean-up. The tradition keeps the river tidy for paddling and reminds the community of its value beyond sport.
The Barcelos Florido competition ran from April to July with 35 entrants from Barcelos, Barcelinhos and Arcozelo. Prizes went to individual balconies and floral arrangements as well as to streets and squares that stood out collectively.
From 21 to 23 August, the Harvest Fest organised by Cerveja Letra celebrates the Minho's hop-growing tradition in the Praça de Santo António. Visitors can pick hops by hand for a limited-edition brew, alongside more than 100 beers from 11 producers, food and music.
Casa Relvas offers visitors a five-hour Alentejo harvest experience: picking grapes by hand, treading them, and tasting musts, wines and olive oils. A typical Alentejo lunch can be added, with prices varying by option and age group.
A short read every morning — what's happening across sustainable Portugal.
