Lisbon, Aug. 12, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's minister for the environment and energy has signed off on the reallocation of funds from the Environmental Fund, increasing support by €4 million for land clearance and for municipalities involved in the development of green spaces in towns and cities.
According to the order issued by Maria da Graça Carvalho, published on Tuesday, the reallocation of the Environmental Fund for this year aims to respond to «changing needs in priority areas for intervention», namely to bolster «projects and measures of significant public interest in the areas of environmental protection and territorial resilience, nature conservation, biodiversity and sustainable water management».
«Reprogramming the Environmental Fund has enabled us to tailor funding to various urgent needs and new objectives,» said the minister, quoted in a ministry press release.
For the second phase of the Floresta Ativa programme, €4 million have been earmarked so that «forest producers can clear combustible material from their land, by submitting applications to the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF)».
This measure, aimed at reducing the vulnerability of areas to rural wildfires, complements the programme launched in May, which made €41 million available for clearance work as part of the new Integrated Landscape Management Operations (OIGP 2.0) in municipalities affected by the winter storms.
The ministry stated in a press release that, in the field of nature conservation and biodiversity, «measures to restore and enhance urban ecosystems are being expanded», increasing the number of towns receiving funding to restore and regenerate their green spaces.
The municipalities of Beja, Évora, São João da Madeira, Leiria and Vila Real are now joined by Guimarães and Celorico da Beira, bringing «the total investment to €8 million» In the case of Beja, funding for the creation of a network of weather shelters has risen from €500,000 to €1 million, whilst Évora, which will be the European Capital of Culture in 2027, will receive €3.4 million for the regeneration of the Rossio de São Brás – Floresta Nómada Laboratory.
According to the order, Guimarães will receive €400,000 for work on the Dom Afonso I Gardens, and Celorico da Beira will receive €500,000 for the town's Agroecological Park, currently under development across an area of 6.4 hectares.
The order also allocates €250,000 for «the development and improvement of the river beach at Ponte de Juncais, in Fornos de Algodres», in the region of Guarda, and €300,000 for Ponte da Barca (Viana do Castelo) to carry out work on the municipality's water network.
The historic Mata da Margaraça, a protected landscape in the Serra do Açor, in the district of Arganil (Coimbra), which was affected by the 2025 wildfires, will receive €500,000 for the restoration of habitats and the improvement of visitor facilities.
In the area of sustainable water management, support is being strengthened for investments aimed at «water efficiency in the public water supply, smart water management and enhancing the resilience of local areas».
Accordingly, €1 million has been allocated to APAL-SIM – Águas Públicas em Altitude, the Inter-municipal Water and Sanitation Services of Celorico da Beira, Guarda, Manteigas and Sabugal – whilst support for municipalities and municipal companies in the Algarve and Águas do Algarve now totals €3.7 million.
The third water storage facility at Lagoa das Contendas, on the island of São Miguel (Azores), has been allocated €1 million, whilst the refurbishment of the Vila Ruiva and Albergaria dos Fusos Wastewater Treatment Plants in Cuba (Beja) will receive €100,000.
In the area of improving ecosystem services and ecological structures, non-governmental organisations will receive €700,000 for wildlife reception centres and rehabilitation centres; the Guarantee Fund for LIFE projects (an acronym for ‘L'Instrument Financier pour l'Environnement') has €1.5 million, and the Network of Women Guardians of Nature will receive €60,000 for the Sustainable Development of Rural Areas.
In addition, €4.5 million is earmarked for agricultural and forestry projects that contribute to carbon capture and emissions reduction, «strengthening the role of the agricultural and forestry sectors in mitigating climate change».
The order also provides for an additional €2.9 million to a total of €3.7 million in the budget allocated to support the purchase of bottled gas by domestic consumers eligible for the social electricity tariff.
LFS/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
