© Miguel Pereira da Silva/Lusa
Fires: TERRA members warn of the urgent need to transform the forestry model and strengthen prevention measures
In light of the increased risk of rural fires, Helena Freitas offers a critical assessment of land management, while José Miguel Cardoso Pereira warns of flaws in the firefighting strategy.
The Portuguese Government has decided to renew the State of Alert Declaration until 11:59 p.m. on August 19, due to the increased risk of fire. This measure comes amid high concern about extreme weather conditions and growing pressure on forest ecosystems.
The TERRA Associate Laboratory has been monitoring the evolution of the fire situation in Portugal and promoting scientific debate on fire management policies, prevention, and territorial resilience. TERRA members Helena Freitas and José Miguel Cardoso Pereira have appeared on television and in the national press, contributing rigorous analyses and concrete proposals for more sustainable land management.
Failure of the State to safeguard the public interest
In an interview with SIC Notícias last Sunday, August 17 (in Portuguese), Helena Freitas, coordinator of the Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE) and member of TERRA, gave an in-depth analysis of the challenges facing the country—we are witnessing a failure of the state in its primary function: safeguarding the public interest.
Helena Freitas warned of the disorganization of response structures and the urgent need for a profound transformation of the forestry model, advocating for a political pact capable of addressing the impacts of climate change and recovering the natural resources essential to territorial resilience. The CFE coordinator and TERRA member left a clear warning: “We are condemning the country, because all the solutions we have for rehabilitating the territory depend on natural resources.”
Failures in the combat strategy
In an interview with Expresso (in Portuguese), José Miguel Cardoso Pereira, a researcher at the Forest Research Centre (CEF) and TERRA, paints a critical picture of the current situation and the institutional response to the phenomenon.
For the researcher, there is a “misperception that fighting fires is saving the country while prevention fails.” He criticized the firefighting strategy as “too focused on populations and roads,” ignoring agricultural areas with less fuel load that could serve as containment.
The work of TERRA members, such as scientists Helena Freitas and José Miguel Cardoso Pereira, contributes decisively to understanding the ecological and social challenges we face, promoting informed, collaborative transformation rooted in scientific knowledge.
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