The Portuguese government has presented a draft of the national nature restoration plan (PNRN), a long-term strategy aimed at restoring damaged ecosystems, reversing biodiversity loss, and improving the ecological condition of natural areas on land and at sea. For the period 2024–2030, an investment of around €3.15bn is planned, averaging €500m per year. Funding will come from national and European sources, complemented by private investment.
The plan includes a total of 407 measures. Most of them focus on terrestrial, coastal, and freshwater ecosystems. In addition, measures are planned for agricultural areas, river connectivity restoration, pollinators, marine ecosystems, forest ecosystems, and urban nature.
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Restoration of terrestrial, coastal, and freshwater areas
Within this category, around 260 km² of degraded habitats have been identified, representing approximately 0.3% of Portugal’s territory. By 2030, between 44 and 75 km² of these habitats are expected to be restored.
Priority is given to wetlands, river systems, lakes, floodplains, riparian zones, and coastal and dune areas. These ecosystems are particularly sensitive to changes in water management and other ecological disturbances.
Marine ecosystems
One of the main challenges in the marine ecosystem is the lack of knowledge about the current condition of many habitats. For about 32,946 km² of sea area, the conservation status is still unknown.
Therefore, the plan strongly focuses on improving mapping, monitoring, and scientific assessment of marine ecosystems. A better understanding of these areas is seen as a necessary foundation for future restoration measures.
Urban nature
For urban areas, the goal is to avoid any net loss of green spaces and tree canopy cover by 2030. After that, a gradual increase in urban green space is expected.
In addition to the amount of green space, the ecological quality and connectivity of green areas are also important. These elements help cities adapt to climate change, for example by reducing the impact of heatwaves.
Restoration of river connectivity
Restoring natural rivers is an important part of the plan. On mainland Portugal, 15,584 barriers in rivers and streams have been identified. By 2030, the aim is to restore about 386 km of free-flowing rivers. This will be achieved by removing these barriers and restoring riverbeds and banks.
Protection of pollinators
Portugal has 2.152 recorded pollinator species, including 747 bee species. Despite this high biodiversity, there is still a lack of monitoring data to properly track population trends. The plan therefore includes more research and monitoring, allowing trends to be identified more accurately and conservation measures to be better targeted.
Agricultural ecosystems
Agricultural land covers about 43% of Portugal’s territory, making it an important part of nature restoration policy. The plan promotes an integrated approach that combines agricultural production with sustainable soil management, efficient water use, landscape management, and biodiversity protection. The goal is to better balance economic productivity and ecological sustainability.
Forest ecosystems
The goal for forest ecosystems is to restore around 44 thousand hectares by 2030. The focus is not only on increasing forest area, but mainly on improving forest quality. This includes developing forests that are more diverse, better connected, and more resilient to climate change and other environmental pressures.
Implementation phases
The implementation of the plan is divided into three periods. Until 2030, the focus is on the most urgent restoration measures and achieving initial targets. From 2031 to 2040, measures will be expanded and strengthened. Between 2041 and 2050, long-term ecological restoration is expected to be fully integrated into public policy.
Development of the plan
The plan was developed over nearly two years in cooperation with public authorities, scientific institutions, and experts. A national knowledge network was also created to support the process, involving more than 200 participants from 24 universities and higher education institutions.
Under the European Nature Restoration Law, Member States are required to restore at least 20% of degraded land and sea areas by 2030. Portugal must submit its national restoration plan to the European Commission by August 2026. The draft is currently open for a 30-day public consultation before a final version is approved.
Beeld: © Foge Comigo!/ICNF