Government reinforces support for territories hit by storm Kristin with 80 million

The Government has reinforced the funding destined for the recovery of territories affected by storm Kristin, raising the ceiling of the “Resilient Territories” program to €80,088,647.00. The decision is contained in Council of Ministers Resolution No. 176/2026, published in the Diário da República, 1st series, no. 168, of August 31, 2026, which amends Council of Ministers Resolution No. 74/2026, of April 24.

The measure responds to the scale of the losses caused by the successive storms of January and February 2026, which caused floods and inundations across most river basins, as well as damage to energy infrastructure, water and sanitation services, coastal protection structures, and natural heritage.

Reinforcement of the “Resilient Territories” program

Resolution No. 176/2026 authorizes the Environmental Fund to enter into “Resilient Territories” program-contracts to finance restoration interventions in riverside territories most severely affected by floods or inundations and equally impacted coastal zones, up to a maximum amount of €80,088,647.00, a value to which value-added tax is not added, as it is financial support.

An allocation of €80,083,647.00 is planned for the year 2026. The resolution was approved in the Council of Ministers on August 20, 2026, under the presidency of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and enters into force on the day following its publication.

New municipalities covered

In addition to the financial reinforcement, the decree extends support to municipalities that did not identify or communicate the damages suffered in a timely manner within the process that led to the approval of Resolution No. 74/2026, but which subsequently demonstrated they were equally affected. Annex I to the resolution now includes new municipalities:

• Fronteira
• Manteigas
• Marvão
• Nelas
• Santa Comba Dão

Executing entities and scope of interventions

The continued signing of “Resilient Territories” program-contracts is ensured between the Climate Agency, I. P., through the Environmental Fund, and, depending on the nature of the interventions, the Portuguese Environment Agency, I. P., the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, I. P., municipalities, and other relevant entities.

The funded interventions include ecological restoration actions for rivers and streams, as well as the recovery and reinforcement of infrastructure and services in the environment and energy sectors, within the framework of the priorities and procedures defined in annex II to Council of Ministers Resolution No. 17-A/2026, of February 3.

Impact for the populations

With this reinforcement, the Government seeks to respond to the severity of the extreme phenomena that affected the populations, ensuring the recovery of damages and strengthening the resilience of the affected territories. The measure is relevant for the municipalities and riverside and coastal communities, which now have more means to rebuild infrastructure and restore the natural heritage damaged by storm Kristin.

Source: Diário da República, 1st series, no. 168, August 31, 2026 (official reference: Council of Ministers Resolution no. 176/2026).