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Portugal
Summary:
Portugal has important experience and knowledge to define climate change adaptation strategies. This results from the adoption of a series of measures to mitigate the intensification and increased regularity of certain extreme weather events such as heat waves and droughts, as well as the indirect effects of forest fires. Against this background, the Government created and implemented the Contingency Plan for Heat Waves (Ministry of Health) which relies on the coordination of the Meteorology Institute (IM), the Fire and Civil Protection National Service (SNBPC) and the National Observatory of Health of the Dr. Ricardo Jorge National Health Institute (ONSA/INSA).
Several measures have been taken in relation to protection against forest fires: several legal documents have been prepared and are under discussion, namely with regard to infractions applicable in the frame of the National System for Forest Fire-Protection and the new rules in relation to Forest Fire Fighters.
The Council of Ministers Resolution 5/2006, of 18 January, approved the strategic directives for the Recovery of Burnt Areas, established by the National Council for Reforestation set up after the extensive fires of 2003.
The 25-year National Plan for Defence Against Forest Fire (Resolution of the Council of Ministers 65/2006, of 26 May) presents a strategy and coordinated array of initiatives with the objective of promoting active forest management, enabling conditions for a progressive reduction in forest fires. Regional Plans for Forestry Planning (PROFs) are finalised and in approval phase. The National Strategy for Forests, presently under public discussion, redefines sectoral objectives and targets and implements the Forestry Intervention Zones (ZIF) with a view to overcoming barriers from excessive fragmentation of properties, in order to ensure sustainable forest protection and management in specific areas. Portugal, together with the other member countries of the Red Iberoamericana de Oficinas de Cambio Climático (RIOCC) 25 and Rede de Organismos de Alterações Climáticas da CPLP (RELAC) 26 (see sub-section 3.4, below), has identified climate change adaptation as one of the main priorities in the definition of policies, in particular with regard to North-South cooperation. As such, following decision 1/CP.10, Portugal supported financially the organisation of regional workshops on adaptation in Latin America and Africa. Additional information can be obtained from Chapter 5 of the Fourth National Communication.
Sources: Portugal's Fourth National Communication and Progress Report, 22 June 2006
