Portugal requires increased state investment for nature restoration

According to the WWF Living Planet Report 2026, monitored wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% since 1970. While approximately $58 trillion of global GDP depends on nature, financial flows remain imbalanced; in 2023, $7.3 trillion was directed toward activities harmful to nature, compared to only $220 billion for protection and restoration.

Despite these challenges, successful recovery efforts have been noted in Portugal, including the Iberian lynx moving from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable, and improvements in sardine and bluefin tuna populations.

To support ecological recovery, the WWF Portugal initiative ‘D-EVOLUÇÃO’ has marked its first anniversary, having mobilized approximately €482,000 through partners, companies, and citizens. This funding has enabled specific interventions, such as recovering 46 hectares of forest in Gerês, preparing 19 hectares of montado in the Caldeirão mountains, and installing underwater shelters for seahorses in the Tagus Estuary using repurposed materials.