The Serra do Açor Forest Project is dedicated to restoring a forest landscape devastated by the catastrophic wildfires that swept through Portugal in October 2017. The project’s implementation covers an extensive area of approximately 2,500 hectares of baldios (common land), managed by ten distinct local communities within the municipality of Arganil.
The initiative is centred in the Serra do Açor, a territory severely impacted by the aforementioned fires, which ravaged roughly 88% of the municipality’s forest landscape. Backed by €5 million in funding from a Portuguese business group, the project is a cornerstone of the municipal strategic vision for wildfire defence and the revitalisation of degraded forest areas.
It is built upon a collaborative governance model unprecedented in Portugal, which led to the establishment of the FSA Association, chaired by the Municipality of Arganil. With over five years of implementation and tangible results already visible, the project ensures the long-term enhancement of the landscape and the ongoing maintenance of the interventions already in place.
Application Form Landscape Award 2025-2026
Application video from Portugal for the 9th session of the Landscape Award
