Portugal boosts urban nature to combat extreme heat
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The Portuguese government approved the PRO NAT.URBE program to increase green spaces in cities and towns across Portugal and protect residents from the effects of climate change.
The program will run until 2035 and focuses on practical projects already underway in five pilot cities, Évora, Beja, Vila Real, Guimarães, and São João da Madeira. These projects aim to demonstrate the benefits of nature-based solutions, such as increasing tree cover, restoring waterways, creating ecological corridors, and improving soil permeability.
The government also plans to create networks of “climate shelters” within urban areas, including parks, gardens, and shaded public spaces, to protect vulnerable populations during heat waves. Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Castro Almeida, explained the program is a necessary response to increasingly frequent extreme weather events, like the recent severe storms and heat waves experienced in the country.
Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, stated the program moves beyond planning to concrete action, with the goal of creating replicable models for cities nationwide. PRO NAT.URBE aligns with European Union regulations requiring no net loss of urban green space or tree cover by 2030 and will serve as a guide for allocating national and European funding for urban nature restoration. The government will track and share the results of these interventions through the Territorial Information Portal.
