Excursions

01: Lisbon’s urban ecosystem services and green infrastructure

U​rban Biodiversity is an indicator of urban environment quality. Lisbon is developing its Local Action Plan for Biodiversity 2020 in order to improve its performance, establishing monitoring routines, checking evolution, promoting environmental education and evaluating the urban metabolism. To achieve these targets, the city is investing in its green infrastructure – in the last decade, over 200 hectares of green corridors have been implemented, based on a diversity of green typologies where nature-based solutions (NBS) and climate adaptation are key.

In the morning, delegates are invited to experience Monsanto, a Peri-urban park which acquired both the attribute of Lisbon’s Green Lungs and the role of native Biodiversity repository in the city. Some NBS that have been successfully implemented in the area will be discussed. The monitoring of these ecosystems can prove the already existent climate change impacts and show paths to preventive action on adaptation.

Later the tour wil​l follow to visit some relevant achievements in the recent implemented urban green corridors, namely some urban farms and biodiverse meadows.

Notes / specific requirements

• Lunch included.
• This excursion includes travel by bus.

02: Lisbon’s blue-green infrastructure and adapted drainage plan

Floods, due to heavy rains, have occurred in Lisbon for some time and are expected to keep increasing in severity due to climate change. The Lisbon drainage master plan (PGDL) 2016/2030 is the municipality’s answer to deal with these floods.

In this excursion, delegates are invited to visit a vertical inspection point at Quinta José Pinto, in which they will go down (about 15 meters) to see the place where the two parts of Caneiro de Alcântara join each other in one only big collector (about 8,5 meters wide). This is the place where the retention basin and the connection to the largest drainage tunnel in the city will be built (5,5 meters diameter and 4,6 km long).

Delegates will also visit a drainage reinforcement construction in Avenida de Berlim and a retention basin in Ameixoeira.

Notes / specific requirements

• This excursion includes travel by bus.
• Participants must be able to climb a ladder and bring good footwear that can get wet/dirty.
• All necessary safety equipment (light, helmets, masks, disposable full suits and gloves) will be provided, as well as safety assistance.

03: Lisbon’s urban water cycle under climate change

Modern wastewater treatment plants are nowadays better defined as “water factories”, since they produce quality water for non-potable uses which is one of the solutions to tackle increasing water scarcity in cities. This excursion will consist of a tour of two wastewater treatment plants in Lisbon: Alcântara Water Factory (also the largest green roof in Europe) and Beirolas. The visits will be led by the CEO of the public company (Águas do Tejo Atlântico, AdTA) managing wastewater treatment in the Greater Lisbon area and by the Project Manager for Water Reuse in the Lisbon Municipality. Delegates will visit the treatment facilities and discuss how innovation is key in wastewater management, getting to know several projects in which AdTA is leading. The visit will also highlight projects to use recycled water in public space in Lisbon, and the plans to expand reuse to the entire city. The discussion will focus on the issues faced regarding water quality and risk analysis.

Notes / specific requirements

• Lunch included.
• This excursion includes travel by bus.

04: Sea level rise and coastal erosion

Given its location and characteristics, the Lisbon metropolitan area is particularly vulnerable to climate change, namely to the effects of sea level rise and tide surge, which will increase in severity with high confidence.

In this excursion, delegates will have the opportunity to walk in the Lisbon water front near the conference venue, measuring the height of certain locations and analysing their vulnerability to flooding based on hazard maps of future projection of sea level rise.

The second part of this excursion will involve crossing the River Tagus by boat and cycling through a bicycle path by the river’s south bank to the coastal zone and dune ecosystems in Costa da Caparica, which have been subjected to successful reconstruction, restoration and adaptation by the Almada Municipality due to coastal erosion.

Notes / specific requirements

• Lunch included.
• This excursion includes travel by boat and cycling along a bicycle path.

05: Companhia das Lezírias

With 182 years of history and spanning an area of 18000 hectares, Companhia das Lezírias is the largest agriculture, cattle and forest farmstead in Portugal, just 30 km from Lisbon.

This area combines an excellent space and a rich biodiversity in multiple agricultural and rural activities. In this excursion, delegates will be invited to visit different components of Companhia das Lezírias such as the cork oak and pine forests, the cattle area, the marsh and the interpretation centre, while learning more about the efforts this company is making in tackling the impacts of climate change.

Notes / specific requirements

• This excursion includes travel by bus.

06: Climate change adaptation in Cascais

Cascais has one of the first municipal climate change adaptation strategies in Portugal (2009) and since then it has stepped up efforts to develop resilience policies and projects that value both the territory and the involvement of civil society while adapting to climate change. In this excursion, participants will get to know the main methodological steps and actions that the municipality has been developing. The excursion includes a visit to different places in the Cascais municipality such as the Interpretation Centre Pedra do Sal (a carbon-neutral building), an ecological corridor, the restored dune system of Crismina, the restored agriculture/environment of Quinta do Pisão, and resilient green areas that promote autochthonous species and reduce water consumption.

Notes / specific requirements

• Lunch included.
• This excursion includes travel by bus.

07: Ajuda Botanical Garden

Climate change has been identified as the main threat for many plant species. In Europe, over half of the vascular plant species are expected to be under threat by the end of this century due to climate change. Each species responds in different ways to the new climatic reality: some adapt, others migrate, and others become extinct. Botanical gardens have the mission to work, both locally and globally, to preserve and sustainably use the vast richness of the plant world. These aspects will be discussed throughout a visit in the Ajuda Botanical Garden, where certain species’ adaptation to climate will be presented. Participants will also have the opportunity to see how some of the garden’s trees have been reacting to climate change in the last years.

Notes / specific requirements

• This excursion includes travel by bus.

08: Water supply system to Greater Lisbon

EPAL (Portuguese Water Company) treats and supplies drinking water to around 3 million people in 35 districts, covering 7.090 km². Asseiceira Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is responsible for 75% of the drinking water produced by EPAL and it treats water extracted from Castelo de Bode dam. The plant is equipped to treat the sludge and to recycle all the liquid effluent from the process, with a sludge treatment plant comprising two thickeners and three centrifuges. It is also provided with four treated water storage tanks holding 20.000 m³ each.

This excursion will start in Castelo de Bode Dam (Water supply system to Greater Lisbon) and followed by a full visit to the Asseiceira WTP. Delegates will visit the treatment facilities and discuss how innovation is key in water management, getting to know several projects lead by EPAL, including the “100% energia” project that will make Asseiceira WTP the world’s first 100% self-sustainable drinking water treatment facility.

Notes / specific requirements

• Lunch included.
• This excursion includes travel by bus.