Good morning. Today the sea, the soil and the vineyard all ask for our attention — from record whale sightings off the Algarve to an early harvest in Madeira. And, as always, we close with the small things people are quietly building.
Researchers have observed an unusually high number of whale sightings in waters off the Algarve coast, particularly near Faro. Scientists are now studying the growing presence of the animals in the region to better understand the trend.
In an interview, Victor van Dooren, Enterprise Director at Rewilding Europe, outlines the organisation's 2030 strategy to build nature-based economies around rewilding, focusing on tourism, local businesses and diversified funding. He highlights the Wilder Places platform, launched to connect tourism providers with visitors, and points to 2026 as a key year for proving its value. Van Dooren praises the Rede Côa Selvagem in Portugal's Grande Vale do Côa as a successful example of businesses collaborating around rewilding, saying its steady revenue growth shows the model can genuinely shift local economies, and urges other landscapes to treat socioeconomic development as seriously as ecological restoration.
A report highlights the role of soil organic matter in mitigating the effects of drought and wildfires. It states that a 1% increase in soil organic matter can allow an additional retention of around 250,000 litres of water per hectare, improving soil resilience. The finding points to soil health recovery as a practical measure to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events, though further details of the report's scope and recommendations were not available.
The BioRia area in Estarreja is hosting two evening events combining astronomy and nature observation, on 21 August and 5 September at 22:00, starting from the Salreu Environmental Interpretation Centre. Guided by José Matos of Fisua, the University of Aveiro's physics association, participants will learn to identify stars, constellations and planets, followed by a short walk along the Salreu trail to observe nocturnal wildlife. The initiative aims to showcase Estarreja's natural heritage by linking astronomy, biology and territorial interpretation. Participation is free but requires prior registration.
EXPOMOR 2026 – Feira da Luz, Portugal's largest extensive livestock fair, takes place from 2 to 7 September at the Parque de Leilões in Montemor-o-Novo. The free event brings together producers, breeders and associations for livestock competitions, auctions and debates, including a lunch-debate on the Common Agricultural Policy on 5 September. On 7 September, a colloquium titled "Mulheres Agricultoras – Vozes, Experiências e Desafios" will highlight women's role in farming through testimonies from entrepreneurs across Portugal and Spain, as part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Secretary of State for Agriculture João Moura will attend.
Rating agency MorningStar/DBRS says Portugal is one of the European countries most exposed both to direct wildfire damage and to indirect productivity losses caused by heatwaves. Using its HEAT dataset, the agency finds Portugal leads the ranking for expected average property damage from wildfires by 2050, and ranks third for heatwave-related productivity losses under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, behind Malta and Andorra. DBRS warns that accumulating climate risks, including drought hardening soil and raising flash-flood risk, can disrupt economic activity, and stresses that adaptation efforts must keep pace with the growing frequency and intensity of these hazards.
Environmental group Quercus has come out against renewing the environmental licence of the Panasqueira mines in Beira Baixa, backing an unfavourable opinion by MiningWatch Portugal issued as the public consultation closed. The report points to gaps in geotechnical and seismic assessments of tailings dams, water treatment capacity during heavy rainfall, and failure scenarios. Quercus cites a January landslide into the Ribeira de Cebola, which suspended a water intake still not reactivated six months later. It warns of risks to water supplying Castelo de Bode reservoir, used by around three million people, and wants a binding closure and clean-up plan before any renewal.
Óbidos municipal council spoke out on Monday against a planned kaolin and clay mining operation in the parish of Serra d'El-Rei, in the neighbouring municipality of Peniche. The council argues that although the project is administratively located in Peniche, its impacts will not respect municipal boundaries and will bring seriously negative consequences for the surrounding territory. The full extent of the council's objections and the project's details were not further specified.
After a rockfall partially blocked the VR2 near the Ladeira da Vinha tunnel towards São Vicente, a team from Madeira's Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory (LREC) inspected the site to map new risk points on the slope above the road. The plan involves identifying cracks, unstable blocks and other weaknesses, then using geolocation and 3D modelling to simulate how rocks could fall and predict which areas might be hit. Authorities describe this as part of an ongoing regional effort to protect road infrastructure, citing around 52 million euros already invested in similar slope works across Madeira, with further stabilisation projects under way or planned.
The Portuguese government has approved a national map of Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones, including areas in eight Baixo Alentejo municipalities: Aljustrel, Almodôvar, Alvito, Beja, Ferreira do Alentejo, Moura, Ourique and Vidigueira. The region has 28 designated solar areas covering over 12,000 hectares and 11 wind areas covering about 772 hectares. Inclusion does not mean projects are approved, but future investments there could benefit from simplified licensing, with production licences issued within six months if requirements are met. Across the Alentejo, 122 solar and 87 wind areas were identified in 34 municipalities, part of a national scheme covering over 800 areas in roughly 147 mainland municipalities.
A petition submitted to the Portuguese Parliament with 34,211 signatures calls for the immediate suspension of the "Volta" bottle deposit-refund system, run by SDR Portugal, and its replacement with a more transparent model. Signatories argue the scheme shifts costs and responsibilities onto consumers, noting that only 40% of packaging is expected to be returned, meaning most deposits would never be recovered. They also raise concerns about machines rejecting packaging and about drink and retail companies' involvement in managing the system. The petition, delivered to the Environment and Energy Committee on 19 August 2026, awaits a decision on its admissibility.
Águas de Gaia has launched a public tender worth €1.615 million to buy equipment for collecting bio-waste in Vila Nova de Gaia, split into three lots. The largest, €1.11 million, covers 3,700 container shelters; a second lot, €280,000, provides 4,500 containers fitted with RFID electronic tags for computerised tracking; a third, €225,000, supplies 150,000 seven-litre containers. The scheme follows EU and national green procurement rules and receives European funding, forming part of Portugal's mandatory separate bio-waste collection strategy in force since December 2023.
AMBILITAL is investing €6.25 million to modernise the Monte Novo dos Modernos waste management centre in Ermidas-Sado, aiming to boost treatment capacity for organic waste. The project, covering Aljustrel, Ferreira do Alentejo and Odemira in the Beja district, includes upgrading the treatment line, a new pre-composting unit, sorting systems and new HVO-powered vehicles. Funded under the Sustentável 2030 programme, the operation spans seven municipalities in Beja and Setúbal, serving around 115,000 people. More than €4.3 million has already gone through public procurement procedures.
The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) has opened a public consultation, running until 2 October, on revised intervention plans for the beaches of Cortegaça and São Pedro de Maceda in Ovar, and Pedrógão in Leiria. The proposal updates a version already consulted on in early 2025, after storms in early 2026 caused significant coastal erosion at São Pedro de Maceda, forcing relocation of beach facilities and a smaller parking area. In Cortegaça, the plan now includes space for xávega fishing support structures, while in Pedrógão, an earlier decision to remove the xávega area was reversed by the Council of Ministers and is now kept in the plan.
An architect's opinion piece argues Portugal should revive the housing cooperative model that built around 200,000 affordable homes between the 1970s and 2008, before financing, controlled prices and available land were dismantled. It warns that PRR funds end this year, and that construction firms and land freed by a temporary simplified rezoning regime (valid until December 2028) offer a narrow window to relaunch cooperative housing. The author urges municipalities, civil society and young families to organise new cooperatives now, warning that once construction capacity disperses after September, it will not return by decree.
Eugénia Cardoso, from Águas do Tejo Atlântico, has been named the Águas de Portugal group's representative on Water Europe's Policy Advisory Committee. Water Europe is a Brussels-backed platform bringing together around 300 water-sector members across Europe to shape sustainability and innovation policy. Cardoso brings experience in water and wastewater quality monitoring. The committee advises Water Europe's leadership on legislative analysis and policy positions, supporting the goal of a 'Water-Smart Society' built on resource efficiency, circular economy practices and climate resilience. Her appointment strengthens Portugal's technical input into these EU-level water debates.
Sociedade Ponto Verde (SPV), which manages Portugal's packaging waste recovery system, has renewed its ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, covering quality management and environmental management respectively. Auditors highlighted staff know-how and the engagement of management and employees as strengths, with the audit finding no non-conformities. SPV, which serves around 8,000 clients, first obtained both certifications simultaneously in 2007 and is marking 30 years of activity. The company says the renewal reflects its commitment to regulatory compliance, process consistency and continuous improvement.
The CREW project, run by LIPOR with ERP Portugal, closed its first half-year with 660.726 kg of electrical and electronic waste avoided through repair. Its network of centres assessed 258 devices for repair potential, successfully fixing 76 and saving 353.628 kg of waste. Alongside this, 12 Repair Café sessions involving 124 participants and 36 hours of collective work assessed a further 124 devices, repairing 66 and avoiding another 307.098 kg of waste. Small appliances were the most common items repaired in both settings.
ERP Portugal, in partnership with the Association of Municipalities of Central Alentejo (AMCAL), collected 580 kg of used batteries since launching an initiative on 15 May in five municipalities. Portel and Vidigueira led with 140 kg each, followed by Viana do Alentejo, Cuba and Alvito. The scheme distributed 'Traga Pilhas' bags attachable to yellow recycling bins, aiming to make selective collection easier in less densely populated areas. Officials say the results show that simple, accessible solutions can boost proper disposal of batteries, which contain hazardous materials requiring specialised treatment.
Setúbal City Council, together with the municipal services SMS, began a large-scale operation on Friday to clear illegally dumped waste from land in Manteigadas. Teams are removing sofas, furniture, wood, rubble, construction materials and other debris using excavators, lorries and large containers. Around fifteen workers are involved. Councillor Bruno Russo said the operation, expected to last several days, marks the start of a wider campaign targeting similar illegal dumping sites on the city's outskirts, alongside increased enforcement to prevent further accumulation.
Liberal Initiative councillor Celso Monteiro presented a programme to Coimbra's municipal executive on 24 August aimed at tackling the persistent dumping of bulky waste and rubbish beside street containers. Named "Cumprir é Mais Fácil", the proposal argues that existing awareness campaigns and clean-up operations only address the consequences of the problem rather than its causes. Further details of the plan were not disclosed in the available text.
The old school in Vilar, in the parish of Cabreiro, Arcos de Valdevez, has been renovated and turned into a venue for intergenerational gatherings, run by the local association Origens e Tradições Dos Amigos de Vilar de Cabreiro. Mayor Olegário Gonçalves visited the restored building, highlighting the municipality's support for heritage recovery projects that preserve local history. According to the council, dozens of residents attended an evening event marking the reopening, combining reminiscence of the past with the enjoyment of the newly recovered communal space.
A fine-dining fundraiser held on 22 August at Arvad winery in Silves raised over €3,600 for Portimão Soup Kitchen, which feeds 220 people weekly. The event, called Vine & Fire, was organised by volunteers Liam and Martina and cooked by chef João Marreiros of Loki restaurant. Local businesses donated the venue, wine, water, vegetables, crockery and music, letting all ticket revenue go directly to the charity. All 48 tickets sold out within 48 hours of announcement. Organisers are now planning a fitness fundraiser on 5 September and a larger paella event in late September or October.
SocioHabitaFunchal, Funchal's municipal social housing company, is running a year-long project called "3D – Into the Digital World", funded by the European Solidarity Corps, to train young residents as trainers in robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and digital literacy. A mobile multimedia lab travels to housing communities with equipment such as tablets, 3D printers and VR headsets. Training so far has covered robotics, 3D printing, website coding and digital content creation, with participants then running workshops for children and, in the case of virtual reality, for elderly residents to combat isolation.
The municipality of Ponte de Lima is running a new round of its biennial Rural Entrepreneurship and Development Prize, aimed at boosting entrepreneurship and local resources. Applications run from 1 September to 31 October and are free, open to projects based or developed in the municipality, one per applicant. Priority areas include agriculture, livestock, tourism, organic farming, forestry and crafts. The three winning projects receive €1,500, €800 and €500 respectively, with the top two also gaining free event space at municipal events during the year.
The Associação dos Jovens Agricultores de Portugal (AJAP) is launching a new course, "Planear e efetuar a instalação de apiários", aimed at people wanting to gain or strengthen skills in beekeeping and apiary planning. The 50-hour course runs entirely online, starting on 4 September, with five hours of live sessions on 4, 11, 18, 25 September and 2 October between 21:00 and 22:00, plus 45 hours of self-paced content. Registration is already open via AJAP's training platform.
The Sete Fontes park will host a workshop called "Caderno de Campo" on 19 September, from 10:00 to 12:30. The nature-focused session invites participants to record their surroundings using techniques such as observational drawing, shadow drawing, rubbing and collecting natural elements during a guided walk. Open to the general public aged eight and over, the workshop is limited to 15 participants, with all materials provided. Registration runs from 27 August to 7 September via an online form.
A short read every morning — what's happening across sustainable Portugal.
