The National Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CNADS) published, in May 2026, the Reflection on Sustainable Management of the Coastal Zone, a document analysing the principal challenges affecting the Portuguese coastline and setting out recommendations for a more integrated, resilient and sustainable management approach.
Henrique Queiroga, a member of CESAM, retired professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro and a councillor of CNADS, co-coordinated, together with João Ferrão, the Working Group responsible for drafting the reflection. The process comprised 32 hearing sessions with specialists and representatives of public and private entities, bringing together scientific, technical and institutional contributions to support the definition of public policy.
The document identifies climate change, mean sea-level rise, the intensification of storms, coastal erosion, and urban and tourism pressures as interdependent factors that increase the vulnerability of coastal populations, infrastructure and ecosystems.
Among the recommendations put forward are the adoption of socio-ecological approaches to coastal planning, bringing forward the revision of the National Strategy for Integrated Coastal Zone Management, the creation of Regional Sea–Land Platforms and of the Coastal Geoportal, the development of an integrated, selective monitoring system, and the strengthening of capacity-building for technical staff and decision-makers within the Public Administration.
Henrique Queiroga’s participation in this work highlights CESAM’s contribution to bridging scientific knowledge and public policy, particularly in the fields of climate change adaptation, coastal management and ecosystem conservation.
The full CNADS reflection may be consulted here.