Sustainable development needs more than environmental promises.

On 15 October, the Greek Erasmus+ Guardians of the Coasts team met Cesário José Barata Severino, President of the Comporta Parish Council (Junta de Freguesia da Comporta), to discuss coastal access, large tourism investments and pressure on natural resources.

Cesário highlighted that Portugal’s beaches remain public by law, while private ownership of neighbouring land has generated debate about practical access. Different views were shared regarding long-used paths through farmland and the scope of public intervention.

Water was a central concern: in Alentejo, irrigation needs for golf courses and large tourism facilities must be considered alongside those of local communities, agriculture and ecosystems. We also heard about developers’ environmental commitments, including proposals to reuse treated wastewater at Terras da Comporta.

The conversation explored investment and employment opportunities as well as concerns about biodiversity, cost of living and equitable access.

For Guardians of the Coasts, the key lesson was to assess actual environmental and social impacts and to promote dialogue among local government, citizens and environmental organisations.

Our warm thanks to Cesário José Barata Severino for welcoming us and sharing his insights and perspectives so openly.

Our beaches. A common good. A shared responsibility. A common future.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.