Sand in Portugal is a ubiquitous granular substance which is a basic resource material used in all manner of manufacture ranging from glass utensils to electronic equipment. It is found in a variety of natural colours and its consistency can be altered by the addition of clay, oils and resins when used, for example, in moulds for the casting of metals.

In the construction industry the standard mix for concrete is one part cement, two parts sand and four parts aggregates. It is also an essential ingredient for asphalt, paint, football pitches, golf courses and foundation material for pathways

Supplies of sand have been obtained largely by dredging river estuaries and beaches while a small amount of M-sand has been produced artificially by the crushing of rocks. Inland formations of sand ridges mark the courses of former waterways. They vary in size from a few hundred metres to several kilometres and generally provide groundwater aquifers which support vegetation such as eucalyptus and cypress pine.

Until mid-20th century the mining of sand for this vast range of uses did not present a great environmental problem. However, the explosion of demand caused by the population movement to coastal locations and the expansion of associated commerce and industry has presented growing threats to a coastline which has always had a history of erosion due to its geographical position on the front line for receiving the worst of Atlantic storms

A scientific study of ancient maps and admiralty charts showed in year 2010 that one third of Portugal´s 943 km continental coast had been critically affected during a sixty year period. Retreats from the highwater line ranged from 0.5 to 9.0 metres a year and amounted to an overall loss of 1,313 hectares.

The regions of Caparica and Aveiro were two of the worst affected with the destruction of beaches, water-edge buildings and agricultural land. Much of this loss was attributed to tidal currents and a prevailing north westerly wind which had overcome revetments, promenades and other barriers erected during the 20th century.

Additionally, the construction of dams on major waterways such as the Tejo and Douro resulted in the retention of silt which would otherwise have increased the islands and shallows which previously existed in the estuaries.

Since 2010 the immediate dangers caused by changes in climate have become painfully obvious. Rising sea levels, alterations in the intensity and direction of prevailing winds and tidal flow, the increase of underwater volcanic activity and the resultant threat of tsunamis all combine to alter the movement of sediments and thus the characteristics of our beaches, cliffs and harbours.

More importantly, there has been an almost complete disregard by the planning authorities and developers of the forewarning by environmentalists that continuing intensive development of coastal locations is fraught with danger.

The expansion of the Sines industrial park is a prime example. The installations now under way include a huge data centre and processing plants for green hydrogen, biofuels and petrochemicals plus three hotels totalling 800 beds and three residential developments of apartment buildings. A desalination plant will supplement potable water drawn from the Tejo river basin but a huge amount of seawater will be drawn daily to provide a cooling system which will discharge waste into the Ocean. This, with sewage, presents incalculable environmental risks for an altered sea-scape.

The fearful intensity of Storm Kristin presented a wake-up call to what can be expected during the next decade should the factors causing climatic change not be curbed.

Patchwork restoration of beaches now being proposed in the wake of the tempest, such as the renewal of groynes and the dumping on beaches of sand drawn from supposedly “safe” locations, can only serve short-term tourism.

Pragmatism requires the sane acknowledgment that erosion of the coast line will increase exponentially in the foreseeable future causing collapse of dunes and cliffs, the flooding of low-lying land and consequent destruction of property.

Therefore, it is vital that restrictions should be introduced now which will curtail new construction in high water-line locations and impose strict regulations to improve the weather resistance of existing buildings. The rehabilitation to modern architectural standards of older buildings for occupation principally by Portuguese citizens (especially in the neglected interior) should be assisted by “improvement grants”.

The erosion of land bordering our rivers and lakes must also be foreseen so that security may be preserved for our stalwart country people.

The hour glass for timing our worsening habitat has been inverted. The sand is running with a rapidity which can only be checked by reaching the level of zero emissions without procrastination from the fossil fuelled elite.

An essay by Roberto Cavaleiro Tomar 22 February 2026