en.Wedoany.com Reported - Portugal's Central region will receive more than half of the national investment in beach nourishment through 2040. Of the total €312.33 million allocated to such interventions under the Coastal Resilience Action Plan 2040 (Programa de Ação para a Resiliência do Litoral 2040, PARL 2040), approximately €176 million will be concentrated in the Central region.

The beaches of Figueira da Foz receive the largest investment, with a budget exceeding €47 million for sand backfilling, reinforcement of the dune belt, and protection against coastal erosion and marine encroachment. Ovar ranks second in the Central region, with an expected allocation of over €35 million.

The Northern region ranks second with an allocation of approximately €58 million, of which around €41.2 million is directed to the beaches of Esposende. So-called "beach nourishment" involves restoring sand in beaches and dune systems by transporting dredged sediments, while also reinforcing and stabilizing dunes and implementing other measures aimed at mitigating coastal erosion and enhancing shoreline resilience.

Most interventions are scheduled between 2025 and 2030, with the plan also covering the 2030-2035 and 2035-2040 phases. The Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Área Metropolitana de Lisboa) ranks third with approximately €35 million, with the largest share allocated to Costa da Caparica, where €30 million is expected to be invested in strengthening shoreline protection. The Algarve receives a similar allocation of approximately €35 million, distributed across several coastal municipalities, with Loulé concentrating around €18.6 million, the highest single allocation in the region.

Beach nourishment is the largest budget component of PARL 2040, with the €312.33 million investment accounting for approximately 38% of Portugal's total coastal resilience investment. It is followed by coastal defense structure interventions (€217.15 million, 27%), cliff interventions (€98.85 million, 12%), and dune system interventions (€82.27 million, 10%).

The Coastal Resilience Action Plan 2040 plans a total investment of €811.73 million for enhancing resilience, protection, and valorization of the coastal zone, and was published in the Diário da República on July 14. PARL 2040 replaces and updates the Coastal Action Plan XXI (Plano de Ação Litoral XXI) approved in 2017, strengthening the response to new demands for climate adaptation and integrated coastal zone management.

The plan requires enhanced collaboration among public entities with intervention powers in this field, involving the Portuguese Environment Agency (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, APA), municipalities, intermunicipal entities, nature conservation bodies, and port authorities. All related investments will be implemented by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) or the respective municipal councils.