The Portuguese branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) will invest €1.8 million in nature restoration projects by 2030, the organization announced on Tuesday, warning of insufficient public investment in ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation.
The announcement was made on the first anniversary of the national office of WWF Portugal, part of the international WWF network, one of the world’s best-known environmental organizations.
Under an initiative called Re-Store Portugal, the funds will be directed to projects in the Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, the Serra do Caldeirão, and the Estuário do Tejo. These efforts aim to contribute to the European target of restoring 20% of degraded areas by 2030.
A report released alongside the announcement highlights that the climate and nature crises are “deeply interconnected.” According to WWF’s latest global report, monitored wildlife populations have declined on average by 73% since 1970.
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“These are clear warnings that we are pushing natural systems toward dangerous and irreversible limits,” WWF Portugal stated.
Ángela Morgado, Executive Director of WWF Portugal, said accelerating conservation and ecological restoration, strengthening territorial resilience, and integrating nature into public and private decision-making are essential steps toward measurable results and building a future where people live in harmony with nature.
The organization pointed to the severe storms that have hit Portugal this year, arguing that such events can no longer be considered exceptional. It warned that Portugal — one of the European countries most vulnerable to climate change — is facing a “new climate normal.”
WWF stressed that the country continues to invest below what is necessary in nature restoration and climate adaptation, limiting structural risk prevention.
Nature restoration, the organization argues, is one of the most effective, cost-efficient, and long-lasting solutions for increasing territorial resilience. Restoring rivers, wetlands, native forests, and coastal ecosystems is not only an environmental measure but also a strategy for civil protection, water security, public health, and economic stability.
Citing European Commission data, WWF noted that every euro invested in nature restoration can generate socio-economic returns of between €8 and €38.
WWF Portugal’s conservation strategy includes:
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Ecosystem restoration
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Species conservation
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Sustainable food systems
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Climate action
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Community engagement
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Integrating nature into public and private policy decisions
Practical measures will include forest fire prevention, soil restoration, improving river ecological status, promoting sustainable grazing, planting native species, controlling invasive species, removing obsolete river barriers, and rehabilitating riverbanks.
In coastal and marine ecosystems, actions will include restoring salt marshes and seagrass meadows, developing responsible blue carbon markets, and strengthening effectively managed marine protected areas.
The organization also aims to halt the decline of the Iberian wolf and support the recovery of the Iberian lynx and wild rabbit, as well as protect sharks and rays in marine environments.
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In sustainable food systems, the focus will be on better agricultural practices, promoting more plant-based diets, and encouraging low-impact fisheries.
WWF will continue supporting municipal climate action plans, raising public awareness, and promoting nature as a public health asset.
Over recent years, during its previous phase as Associação Natureza Portugal, the organization invested around €5 million in conservation efforts, restored 440 hectares of forest, and rehabilitated 10 kilometers of rivers.
