Portugal Unveils ENAAC 2030 Climate Strategy, Focused on Flood Prevention and Adaptation
LISBON, Nov 1 — The Portuguese government has presented its new National Strategy for Adapting to Climate Change (ENAAC 2030), a comprehensive plan aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to respond to extreme weather events and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Public consultation on the draft strategy is now open, allowing citizens, institutions, and companies to contribute through the Participa.pt portal.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Energy, ENAAC 2030 outlines national measures to address climate-related challenges such as heat waves, droughts, fires, floods, coastal erosion, and water scarcity. The strategy is designed to guide all sectors of society in adapting to climate risks and improving resilience.
Minister of Environment and Energy Maria da Graça Carvalho emphasized that the strategy reflects the growing severity of climate impacts in recent years, noting risks not only to the environment and energy infrastructure but also to public health, with the arrival of disease-carrying vectors like the dengue mosquito on the mainland.
“The ENAAC 2030 organizes policies, identifies critical areas, promotes monitoring, and fosters dialogue between public administration sectors affected by climate change,” Carvalho said.
Immediate Action and Investment
The government has already launched several initiatives without waiting for the strategy’s formal adoption. Coastal protection projects, funded with approximately €140 million from the Sustainable Operational Programme, are underway in locations including Esposende, Ferragudo, Figueira da Foz, Costa da Caparica, and Vale do Garrão.
In the area of flood prevention, the Portuguese Environment Agency received €12.3 million to modernize early warning systems and identify regions most vulnerable to flooding. Additional works with a budget of €60 million are ongoing in Lisbon, Algés, Oeiras, and Faro, focusing on reducing the impact of extreme rainfall events.
Strategic Goals
ENAAC 2030 aims to equip Portugal with the tools, knowledge, and infrastructure to protect citizens, ecosystems, and the economy against increasingly frequent, intense, and unpredictable climate risks. The strategy emphasizes sectoral coordination, risk monitoring, and proactive planning to enhance resilience across society.
The government encourages public feedback on the draft strategy, highlighting the importance of collective participation in shaping Portugal’s climate adaptation policies for the coming decade.
