Recently, Portugal presented the Pró-Rios program, an ambitious river restoration initiative to protect more than 100,000 inhabitants from flood risks.
The measure was announced by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, in Lisbon.
There, the official revealed that the investment will reach 187 million euros with the aim of recovering more than 1000 kilometers of riverbeds before 2029.
Portugal’s plan for the restoration of its rivers seeks to address the critical situation the country faces: today, 63 high-risk areas threaten thousands of citizens.
“Decades of alterations in rivers, which were channeled, covered, or turned into landfills, triggered an ecological deterioration“, Carvalho detailed to The Portugal News.
A million-dollar investment for the restoration of rivers in Portugal
According to the minister, the most important interventions will focus on Lisbon, Oeiras/Algés, Faro, Albufeira, and Tavira.
In particular, 52.5 million euros will be allocated to Algarve and Alentejo, while the most complex actions will be carried out in the capital and Algés.
José Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), detailed that the first stage of river restoration will include more than 80 interventions in Portugal’s most sensitive areas.
The funding comes mainly from European funds, with an average annual investment of 46 million euros since 2020.
Five lines of action for river restoration in Portugal
The program structured its interventions into five strategic axes:
- Renaturalization of riverbeds and banks
- Removal of river barriers to maintain ecological connectivity
- Eradication of invasive exotic species
- Promotion of the citizen relationship with rivers
- Improvement of knowledge and monitoring of river systems
The restoration of rivers in Portugal will act in both urban and rural areas, eliminating risk factors and recovering degraded habitats.
The goal goes beyond flood prevention: it seeks to improve water quality, increase water resilience, and conserve biodiversity.
The importance of scientific collaboration and social commitment
“The APA cannot take on the challenge alone,” Carvalho emphasized to The Portugal News.
As the representative stated, the execution of the river restoration program in Portugal requires the active participation of universities and environmental associations.
These entities will be key because they will provide scientific knowledge for selecting the most appropriate strategies and long-term monitoring.
The plan aligns with national strategies such as the Water that Unites program and the National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation.
Additionally, Portugal will work with Spain on the sanitation of the Miño River, currently affected by excess sediments.
This agreement is expected to be signed at the next Iberian summit in Huelva.
As a precedent, between 2017 and 2025 Portugal carried out more than 195 interventions in almost 2100 kilometers of riverbeds to restore and improve its rivers.
In 2023, it allocated 14 million euros to 68 river projects, an experience that will serve as a basis for the deployment of Pró-Rios.
In particular, the Portuguese government considers the social valorization of the program to be key.
The state believes that river restoration will strengthen the relationship of Portugal’s local communities with their riverbeds, thus promoting spaces for recreation and environmental education.
This comprehensive approach positions Pró-Rios as one of the most relevant European programs in ecological restoration and adaptation to climate change.
