The announcement was made at the end of the meeting by the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, who explained that this operation “is very important for the safety of people and property” who frequent the beaches in the municipality of Almada.

At the beginning of January this year, the government, through the Ministry of the Environment, had already announced that it would invest €20.2 million in priority works to protect the coast, namely to stabilise cliffs, protect coastal infrastructure and reinforce the most vulnerable beaches.

In a note, the Ministry of Environment and Energy highlighted that €13.9 million will be supported through the Cohesion/Sustainable Fund 2030, which approved the financing of 12 applications for coastal protection and defense interventions, “which combine advanced engineering with nature-based solutions, promoting climate adaptation and sustainable coastal management”.

One of the planned interventions is the artificial sand supply on the beaches of Costa da Caparica and S. João da Caparica, which aims to reinforce “coastal resilience in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, as well as the dredging of the Lagoa de Albufeira, improving water circulation, and the restoration of natural systems and minimising risk on Praia da Califórnia and Portinho da Arrábida”.

In July last year, the Minister of the Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, admitted that the sand replenishment of the beaches of Caparica, in Almada, is fundamental to preserving that natural heritage and recognised that it is a long and continuous process that needs to be maintained.