ZERO reports sharp rise in Portugal's bathing water restrictions
Environmental association ZERO says the quality of mainland Portugal's bathing waters worsened in 2026, with bathing restrictions up 65% and outright bans more than doubling compared with 2025, based on monthly APA and DGS data for May to July. Interdictions linked to microbiological contamination rose 143%, concentrated mainly in July. Looking at the wider season to 30 August, ZERO found 68 bathing sites with unfit water at least once, with inland waters disproportionately affected. It blames sanitation failings, farm and industrial discharges, and diffuse pollution, and calls for stronger inspection and accountability.
IPMA launches marine monitoring mission off Oeiras, echoing 1896 voyage
Portugal marked 130 years since its first national oceanographic campaign, led by King D. Carlos in 1896 off Cascais, by launching a new mission off Oeiras. The two-week survey, run by the IPMA aboard the research vessel Mário Ruivo, forms part of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and assesses human impacts on marine ecosystems, including from fishing, shipping, tourism and pollution. Researchers are using Nansen bottles, the same type of instrument used in the 1896 expedition, to collect water and sediment samples for laboratory analysis. A second campaign under the directive is planned for December.
UN drought summit ends without deal, ZERO urges Portugal to act alone
The COP17 UN desertification conference ended in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, without an international agreement on drought prevention, pushing the issue to COP18 in Egypt in 2028. Negotiators did mobilise $1.3 billion for land restoration and drought resilience projects across 23 countries, but a small group of countries, notably the United States, blocked a binding international drought framework for the second conference running. Portuguese environmental association ZERO called the outcome a missed opportunity and urged the government to finish its National Action Programme against Desertification in 2026, adopt proactive drought policies, and protect pastures, noting 71% of mainland Portugal faces moderate to very high desertification risk.
Quercus finds trace TFA chemical in Marateca reservoir water
An environmental analysis by Quercus Castelo Branco of water from the Marateca/Santa Águeda reservoir found no pesticides or PFAS, but detected trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) at a concentration of 0.73 micrograms per litre. The test went beyond standard drinking water controls, and Quercus considers this result worth monitoring, though it stated the level found does not necessarily indicate an immediate risk. Further details on health implications and next steps were not available in the published material.
Mendes Gonçalves Foundation publishes soil regeneration guide
The Mendes Gonçalves Foundation has released a "Guide to Good Practices – Soil Protection and Regeneration", developed under its "Regenerar" programme with financial support from the Soilscape project. The document gathers national and international scientific references to help farmers, technicians and land managers adopt practices for healthier, more resilient soils. It is structured around six principles, including minimising soil disturbance, keeping soil covered and integrating livestock, and explores six related areas such as cover crops, organic matter management and integrated fertilisation. The guide aligns with the EU's Soil Mission under Horizon Europe and stresses there is no universal recipe for soil regeneration.
