LEAF researchers warn of the urgent need for a national ecological infrastructure
Researchers from LEAF – Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture, and Food, a unit integrated into the TERRA Associate Laboratory, warn of the urgent need for Portugal to move forward with the creation of a national ecological infrastructure capable of strengthening the territory’s resilience in the face of extreme weather events such as storms and rural fires.
In a recently published opinion piece signed by researchers Manuela Raposo, Natália Cunha, and Selma Pena, it was highlighted that the intensification of these extreme events requires a structural change in land-use planning, arguing that ecological infrastructure should be viewed as an essential strategic system, on a par with other national networks, such as road or energy networks.
According to the authors, the lack of an integrated vision and the fragmentation of responsibilities among different entities hinder the implementation of effective solutions, compromising the country’s ability to adapt to climate change. The creation of a structuring ecological network would allow for the articulation of natural, forest, agricultural, and urban areas, while promoting biodiversity conservation, soil protection, and natural risk mitigation. The proposal is based on a landscape-based approach that values nature-based solutions to reduce the territory’s vulnerability to rural fires, floods, storms, and heat waves. These solutions include sustainable forest management, the restoration of degraded ecosystems, and the creation of ecological corridors that strengthen the connectivity and functionality of natural systems. The implementation of a national ecological infrastructure is also identified as a key tool for land use planning and public safety, contributing to more sustainable and resilient development. In this context, it is recommended that its delimitation and integration be undertaken at the central level, coordinating existing sectoral policies and planning instruments.
The warning issued by LEAF researchers reinforces the role of science in defining public policies capable of responding to contemporary environmental challenges, highlighting the importance of a systemic approach that recognizes nature as infrastructure essential to human well-being and the country’s sustainability.
Article available to Público subscribers here (in Portuguese).
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