Extreme heat is associated with an increased mortality and morbidity. National heat plans have been implemented to minimize the effect of extreme heat. The population’s awareness and knowledge of national heat plans and extreme heat is essential to improve the community’s behavior and adaptation. A general population survey was conducted in Lisbon and in Madrid to assess this knowledge. We used a questionnaire to interview passers-by. Results were compared between Lisbon and Madrid and between locals and foreigners, using Pearson Chi-square tests and Fisher's exact test. We conducted 260 interviews in six locations of different socio-economic backgrounds in each city. The most frequently mentioned extreme heat-related risk groups were the elderly (79.2%), children (49.6%) and babies (21.5%). The most frequently reported protective measures were increased fluid intake (73.1%) and avoiding exposure to the sun (50.8%). Knowledge about the heat plan was higher in Lisbon (37.2%) than in Madrid (25.2%) (p-value = 0.03). Foreigners had less knowledge of risk groups compared to locals. Heat plans were not widely known in Madrid and Lisbon. Nonetheless, knowledge of practical concepts to face extreme heat, such as certain risk groups and protective measures, was found. Our results were similar to comparable surveys where specific respondents’ groups were identified as less knowledgeable. This highlighted the importance of addressing these groups when communicating public health messages on heat. Foreigners should be specifically targeted to increase their awareness.

In the last five decades, Community-Based Forestry (CBF) has become a subject of special attention. It is assumed that the transfer of rights to local communities will improve forest management. In Portugal more than 13% of the forest area belongs to local communities (termed baldios). Following FAO tools, assessments of Forest Tenure and CBF were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of four baldio management types. The results revealed the most common challenges for baldios, visa -vis, rights associated with their management, protection of these rights, weak land administration, weak mechanisms for conflict resolution, problems with decentralized state support, cash flow management, and environmental challenges leading to wildfires, loss of biodiversity, and inadequate control of pests and invasive species. Resolution of these challenges is urgently needed at the legal, administrative and local levels. Future research should include assessments of CBF in other European countries to reduce the existing knowledge gap.

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Wildfires are natural hazards that have both biological components (vegetation as fuel) and meteorological components (air temperature and humidity, wind). It can be defined as “any unplanned and uncontrolled vegetation fire which, regardless of the ignition source, may require suppression response or other actions according to agency policy.”

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This paper presents the concept of communities of innovation for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. The paper discusses the added value of these types of communities to help address uncertain futures from the impact of climate change, which are highly context dependent. The paper frames these communities of innovation as part of innovation ecosystems in order to reflect on their key elements and added value. We argue that climate change and disaster risk management responses need to meet the needs of those experiencing problems with those that can offer solutions in distinct localities, including those that could fund or finance potential innovative solutions. Developing communities of innovation with the specific task of anticipating and creating niche solutions has been gaining traction in the EU. Some developed under the H2020 BRIGAID project are analysed here for other emergent COIs, as future-oriented communities tasked with the challenge to reduce disaster risks and enhance the climate resilience in their own spaces. This paper reflects on the experience of participants in these communities and their reflections and experience on whether these offer a useful form of organisation to anticipate future challenges, create niche solutions, and bring innovations to the market. The paper concludes with how communities of innovation can contribute to niche design and narratives of change to help achieve social and environmental resilience to reframe and help transition and transform current systems into more resilient, future-oriented communities.

Os terrenos comunitários portugueses - baldios, têm uma história centenária. Desde os seus primórdios, as populações rurais locais usaram estes terrenos para garantir a sua subsistência, o que implicou uma alteração progressiva da paisagem através da utilização de florestas, campos agrícolas, e pastagens. Assim, foram-se desenvolvendo as vertentes económicas e sociais locais que no presente caracterizam os baldios. Estes territórios passaram por diversos regimes de gestão e governança e a sua maior parte foi arborizada no século passado. Atualmente, são estruturas, em que os proprietários, i.e., compartes, estão organizados em assembleias onde todos os compartes têm assento, e podem optar por diferentes formas de gestão dos baldios. Num contexto de desafios e de necessidade de informação sobre a situação atual dos terrenos baldios, realizou-se um simpósio sobre a gestão das áreas florestais comunitárias/baldios, no âmbito do 9° Congresso Florestal Nacional que decorreu na Madeira em 2022. Este artigo reúne as principais visões acerca do tema apresentadas no evento, e lista possíveis passos para melhorar a governança e valorização dos baldios portugueses.

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