Algarve Water Crisis 2026: What Residents and Tourists Need to Know
The Algarve is facing its third consecutive year of below-average rainfall. Here's what the water shortage means for residents, expats, and the region's €4B tourism industry.
Environment
Environmental news, climate policy, and sustainability in Portugal.
Government Races to Clear Fallen Trees Before Fire Season as Prisoners Join Forest Cleanup
With the memory of last year's devastating wildfire season still raw, Portugal's government is accelerating efforts to clear millions of downed trees from storm-ravaged forests before summer arrives -- and it is enlisting an unconventional workforce...
Climate Change Made Portugal's Devastating Storm Season 30 Percent Wetter, Study Finds
The series of storms that battered Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula in early 2026, killing 18 people in Portugal alone and causing billions of euros in damage, were significantly intensified by climate change, according to a new study by the World...
Saharan Dust Blankets Portugal With Air Quality Warnings Across the Country
A plume of Saharan dust that began creeping across the Algarve coast on Sunday is now covering much of mainland Portugal, with meteorologists warning that Tuesday marks the peak of the event. The phenomenon, which occurs when strong winds lift fine...
Eight Million Trees Lost in Leiria: Storm Kristin's Legacy Raises Summer Wildfire Alarm
The full extent of Storm Kristin's destruction of Portugal's forests is only now becoming clear, and the numbers are alarming.
Algarve Dams Hit 91% Capacity, Securing Water Supply for Four Years
After two winters of intense rainfall, the Algarve's six main reservoirs have reached 91 percent capacity -- enough to guarantee the region's water supply for four years, even accounting for dry spells, according to the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA).