Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 25th January 2023

Good Morning – We often here the term that Portugal has over 300 days of sunshine a year. That maybe in case at one or two places in the Algarve, but for the majority of the Portuguese mainland it usually somewhat less than this.

The weather generally seems to be less predictable over the longer term with overwhelming evidence from scientist pointing to a consequence of climate change.

We started this year having experienced several weeks of heavy rain with extensive flooding in various parts of the country particularly in Lisbon before Christmas and in Viana do Castelo District over the New Year. The rain was intense in several districts with extensive flooding, landslips, fallen trees and cars being washed away in strong currents.

The 1st January 2023 was notable in that it was the warmest January day on record for many countries in Europe. In Poland 19C, Denmark 12.6C, Czech Republic 19.6C, Netherlands 16.9C and here in Portugal 15C in the Alentejo, Portugal are some examples. However, just three weeks later we are experiencing a cold air mass with temperatures down to minus -6.6C in Braganza. Interestingly on the same day in 2022 IPMA recorded temperature of minus -6C to 3C in the north. January 2022 was in fact a cold month but by mid-February maximum air temperatures reached 26.3C in Zambujeira and with relative humidity levels as low as 17%.

In the first five weeks of 2022 there were over 1000 rural fires in Portugal of which more than 450 occurred from 28thto 30th January. Over 85% of these fires during that period were in the far north (where most of the rain has recently fallen), as a consequence of debris or land burning which was not authorised or was approved but was not properly controlled.

In January 2022 there were very low levels of relative humidity which, associated with the east winds and the absence of what is called “the nocturnal recovery” of humidity when the sun goes down, this lead to an increased fire hazard when there is a fire. In fact at the time of the above fires, the relative humidity levels were as low as 11% in the afternoon in this general area, a similar level one would experience in summer – compare this to the start of 2023 when RH levels of between 95 – 100% were the norm in the north.

Portugal is one of the European countries most affected in the last 40 years by extreme weather events in terms of premature deaths and economic losses, according to a recent report by the European Environment Agency.

These extreme events include meteorological events such as storms, hydrological events such as floods, or climatological events such as heat waves, cold waves and droughts, and in Portugal they also have a significant impact.

As can be seen in a matter of just two months (December 2022 and January 2023) we have experienced heavy rains, above average temperatures, followed by cold weather).

Extreme weather events are becoming more common and we have to be prepared. Disaster Risk Reduction and the work of government working with communities is becoming more important in risk awareness and being prepared. We cannot control major events such as heavy rain leading to floods or an earthquake leading to a tsunami, but we can make a difference in determining the level of impact.

Safe Communities Portugal’s role as part of DRR is to encourage behavioural changes in the population, to make communities aware of what procedures to take for certain risks; help through advice to prepare citizens for their role in an emergency; help prepare citizens for the importance of protecting their lives and those around them – family, neighbours and the community and promote specific actions for the most vulnerable communities, with the aim of developing and implementing measures that increase knowledge and/or reduce the risk of catastrophe.

Lastly a reminder to take care when driving in this very cold weather especially on roads that seldom see the sun during the winter. Even areas in the south of the mainland are experiencing sub-zero temperatures and there will most likely be frost/ice on road surfaces. Remember the surface of the road in such conditions is colder than the air temperature!

News

Number of victims of human trafficking falls in 2020 but pandemic may have distorted figures.

The biggest reduction in victims was recorded in North Africa and the Middle East, where the number of victims was 40% lower than in 2019

The number of victims of human trafficking decreased in 2020, for the first time in 20 years, the UN revealed this Tuesday, warning, however, that the real situation may have been covered up by the restrictions imposed as part of the covid-19 pandemic.

In the year under review, “there was an 11% reduction in the number of victims detected compared to 2019, especially in low- and middle-income countries”, says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC, its acronym in English) in its annual report, released today.

The greatest reduction in victims was recorded in North Africa and the Middle East, where the number of victims was 40% lower than in 2019, followed by the Central America and Caribbean region, where the decrease was around 36%.

The reduction could have three possible explanations, advances the UNODC, pointing out, from the outset, that “the restrictions imposed during the pandemic limited opportunities, but also pushed trafficking towards less detectable ways of acting”.

On the other hand, the limits imposed by Governments around the world to contain and combat the contagion of the covid-19 infection have also restricted the authorities’ abilities to detect and identify criminals with links to human trafficking, so that the recorded evolution may not be entirely true, says the UN agency.

“This latest report shows how the pandemic has increased the vulnerabilities of human trafficking, further reducing the ability to rescue victims and bring perpetrators to justice,” underlines UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly, quoted in the organization’s analysis.

 

Good news – Tourism Revenue reached 22 billion euros in 2022, 21% higher than in 2019

Portimão, Faro 23 Jan 2023 (Lusa) – The Minister of Economy, António Costa Silva, revealed today that revenues from tourism reached 22 billion euros in 2022, surpassing by 20% the value recorded in 2019, in what was considered the best tourist year.

“Portugal ended the year 2022 with 22 billion euros, which is absolutely extraordinary because, in one year, we not only recovered what we did in 2019, but also surpassed the results by another 20%”, said the minister in Portimão, in the district from Faro.

Speaking at the closing session of the inauguration of the new School of Hospitality and Tourism (EHTP) in that Algarve municipality, the official recalled that tourism, “one of the engines of the development of the country’s economy, was highly plagued by the pandemic, almost paralyzed for two years”.

“There were many people who said that to recover the numbers of 2019 it would take three, four or five years, but we managed to recover during the last year”, he underlined.

António Costa Silva stated that for Portugal to “achieve one of the goals of being the most sustainable destination in the world, one of the highest quality ones, “it is necessary to work together, developing collaborative networks”.

“If we build these platforms, if we have clear intentions, we can transform the lives of our communities, create wealth and align the country, tune the country with the future”, he pointed out.

“We, at the Ministry of Economy, have a very clear vision about tourism: tourism is a tool to develop the country from north to south, including the autonomous regions [of Madeira and the Azores], because it is capillary”, he noted. .

In the same sense, he added, that tourism “is present throughout the national space and it is transversal, it mobilizes multiple sectors of the economy, from construction to transport, to a whole set of industries”.

The new building of the School of Hospitality and Tourism of Portimão is an investment of 2.3 million euros by Turismo de Portugal that will reinforce the training offer in the region.

The new facilities are the result of the renovation of the former prison facility in Portimão, with eight classrooms equipped with the latest technology, two individual kitchens, an auditorium with capacity for 140 people, a bar and an ‘application’ restaurant, which will be open to the public.

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