The program will be implemented by the Portuguese Red Cross (CVP) and funded by the Z Zurich Foundation, which collaborates with local organisations worldwide to work on, among other goals, crisis response and climate change adaptation.

The initiative is being developed by the CVP and the insurer Zurich Portugal; in a statement released, they noted that the project focuses on active community participation and the creation of local solutions for climate change prevention and preparedness.

The “Urban Climate Resilience Program in Portugal” is part of a global initiative to support vulnerable urban communities affected by climate change. It aims to strengthen community protection against climate risks by enhancing preparedness, response capacity, and resilience in the face of extreme heatwaves and wildfires.

The program will raise public awareness and knowledge regarding risks and facilitate access to training, preparedness tools, simulation exercises, and local solutions, including first aid techniques. It also includes family emergency planning and improved coordination between local warning systems, communities, and Municipal Civil Protection Services.

According to the statement, special attention will be paid to highly vulnerable groups, specifically the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, migrants, and low-income families.

The two entities note that Portugal is one of the European countries most affected by wildfires and has also seen a sharp increase in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in recent years, “with direct effects on public health and social well-being.”

The insurer states that heat-related events in Portugal were responsible for approximately 2,200 deaths in 2022, and that the economic impact of extreme weather events has exceeded €13.4 billion since 1980.