🇵🇹 Portugal news, in English, every morning. Free. Subscribe

The Portugal Brief

Home
Politics
Economy
Guides
About

Sign in Subscribe

Environment

Environmental news, climate policy, and sustainability in Portugal.

A Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite image showing a plume of wildfire smoke drifting from Portugal westward over the Atlantic Ocean, past Lisbon

Fresh Fires Erupt Across Portugal's Northern Interior, Injuring Five Firefighters and Burning a Fire Truck Near Vinhais

Separate fires flared across the districts of Bragança and Vila Real this weekend, injuring five firefighters — two seriously — near Vinhais, where a tanker truck burned out and the village of Dine was briefly evacuated. Around 550 operatives fought three northern blazes as councils stayed at maximu

The Portugal Brief 16 Aug 2026

Portugal Has the Science to Climate-Proof Its Land. A New Report Says It Lacks the Nerve to Act.

Portugal Has the Science to Climate-Proof Its Land. A New Report Says It Lacks the Nerve to Act.

Portugal already knows how to protect its soil and forests from a changing climate, a new report argues. What it lacks is the nerve to set targets, the centralised data to back them and the institutions to turn science into policy.

The Portugal Brief 15 Aug 2026

The Ponte de Sao Goncalo stone bridge over the Tamega river in Amarante, Portugal, at dusk, with the illuminated Sao Goncalo church and its dome behind

The Government Waives Farmland Protection for a €3.2 Million Rural Hotel in Amarante, Citing Public Interest

The Ministry of the Economy has declared a four-star rural hotel in Amarante to be in the public interest, unlocking almost 1.5 hectares of protected National Agricultural Reserve land — the latest in a pattern of farmland waivers for tourism projects.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

The white domed reactor and grey buildings of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant beside a reservoir in Caceres, Spain, seen from a nearby road with hills behind

Spain Extends the Almaraz Nuclear Plant to 2030, and Portuguese Campaigners Press Lisbon to Object

Spain will keep the ageing Almaraz nuclear plant, on the Tagus barely 100 km from the Portuguese border, running until June 2030. The environmental group Zero wants Lisbon to object, and the border districts of the Beira Baixa are already demanding answers.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

A Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite image showing a plume of wildfire smoke drifting off the Portuguese coast into the Atlantic Ocean

A Wildfire in Valpaços Rips Through 15,000 Hectares of Vineyards and Groves as the Mayor Asks Lisbon for a State of Calamity

A wildfire that broke out near Ervões on 12 August has burned around 15,000 hectares across Valpaços, Mirandela and Vinhais, destroying vineyards and olive groves and forcing evacuations. Mayor Jorge Mata Pires has asked the government to declare a state of calamity.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

The rural upland landscape of the Barroso region in Tras-os-Montes, northern Portugal, with hills and farmland

Barroso's Lithium Developer Strikes Land Deals With Commons Communities, Targeting a 2027 Mine Start

Savannah Resources has signed new land agreements with the baldio commons communities of Tras-os-Montes for its Barroso lithium project, including community seats, inflation-linked compensation and a €500,000-a-year foundation — as a protest camp nearby drew about a thousand people.

The Portugal Brief 13 Aug 2026

A Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite image showing a plume of wildfire smoke drifting off the Portuguese coast past Lisbon into the Atlantic Ocean

A Fresh Heatwave Pushes About Seventy Interior Councils to Maximum Fire Danger

A returning heatwave has pushed around seventy interior councils across northern and central Portugal into the highest wildfire-danger band, with temperatures forecast up to 42C in Evora. Some eclipse-viewing events were cancelled over the fire risk.

The Portugal Brief 12 Aug 2026

Subscribe to The Portugal Brief

Don't miss out on the latest news. Sign up now to get access to the library of members-only articles.

Sign up
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Partner with Us
Editorial Standards

The Portugal Brief © 2026. Powered by Ghost

Operated by Thrifty Explorations LLC.

[email protected]