In terms of researching fire-related structure loss, various factors can affect structure survival during a wildfire. This paper aims to assess which factors were determinants in house resistance in the specific context of a case study of an extreme wildfire in the Central Region of Portugal and therefore which factors should be taken into account in the definition of a municipal mitigation strategy to defend buildings against wildfires. In this context, it is possible to conclude that various factors presented a predominant influence, some in building destruction and others in building survival. The existence of overhanging vegetation and lack of defensible space constitute major factors for structure destruction. the inherent wildfire severity, the location in the forest area, and the structure’s isolation from major roads were equally important factors that induced house destruction. Building survival was determined by its increasing distance from the forest and by its location in a dense urban agglomeration. Thus, a strategy to enhance resilience should include the prohibition of roof overhanging vegetation and the restriction of building permits in forest areas, in isolated locations, and/or very far from major roads. These orientations can be extrapolated to municipalities with similar susceptibility and vulnerability to wildfires.

Spatial planning potential for reducing natural risks including wildfires is widely recognized. This research is focused on Portugal, a wildfire-prone country in southern Europe, where the competencies for spatial planning lie on four geographical levels: (i) the national and regional levels, with a strategic nature, set the general goals or the agenda of principles for spatial planning and (ii) the inter-municipal and municipal levels use regulative land-use planning instruments. There is a trend to bring together spatial planning and wildfire management policies. Thus, this paper aims to identify which are the main difficulties and which are the major opportunities, regarding the implementation of the new Integrated Management System for Rural Fires (IMSRF) and the challenge of integrating wildfire risk reduction in the Portuguese spatial planning framework. Through a survey of municipal professionals with experience in applying the legislation of both policies, the major difficulties and the opportunities of alignment of these two spheres are identified, which can be extrapolated for the whole country or countries in a similar context.

Background: This paper identifies the weaknesses of the Portuguese approach to promote wildfire risk reduction through spatial planning. Aims: This paper contributes to bridging a critical gap in knowledge on the role of spatial planning in the reduction of wildfire hazard, given that the characteristics of fire hazard are distinctive from other natural hazards. Methods: Firstly, we used an online questionnaire answered by 175 municipalities of Portugal in order to examine local technicians’ experience in applying spatial planning legislation and wildfire management policies. In a second step, we collected data from a Delphi survey with 27 experts with the aim of confirming or repudiating the importance of each need for integration between spatial planning and rural fire management indicated by the replies of the 175 municipalities. Key results, conclusions, and implications: One of the main identified weaknesses relates to the integration of the National Hazard Map in the Constraints Map of the Master Plans, considering the high inter-annual variability of fire hazard and the long-term definition of the municipal spatial planning framework.

This research aims to understand how local authorities consider tourism a sustainable development vector and identify critical areas of improvement. This work addresses the perception of the mayors of municipal chambers in the Demarcated Douro Region (DDR; Portugal) regarding issues related to the region’s tourist sector, precisely challenges and opportunities associated with promoting sustainable development in regional tourism. The surveys were conducted with mayors throughout the DDR, employing a structured questionnaire to collect data on their perspectives. The analysis revealed that mayors consider tourism, especially wine tourism, gastronomy, and promoting natural and cultural heritage, significant drivers for the region’s devel- opment. However, challenges such as poor accessibility, lack of private investment, and demographic issues have also been identified. The study highlights a strong disposition among municipalities to cooperate in the seasonality approach of tourism and promote the DDR as a comprehensive and diverse tourist destination. The findings emphasise the need for improvements in transport infrastructure, innova- tion support, entrepreneurship, and the importance of cultural and sporting events for the attraction of tourists throughout the year. This paper provides valuable information on the perspectives of local DDRs on tourism by offering planning guidance and promot- ing more sustainable and inclusive tourist practices.

The intensification of wildfires in Portugal has highlighted the urgent need for technical tools capable of supporting more effective risk mitigation decisions. In particular, the lack of explicit criteria for prioritizing the implementation of wildfire mitigation programs has contributed to reactive and fragmented interventions that are often misaligned with actual levels of hazard and exposure. This study proposes a spatially explicit methodology for classifying and ranking villages in wildfire-prone territories under two operational programs: Protection of People, Assets and Fuel Management. The framework was applied to eight municipalities across three Portuguese regions with high wildfire recurrence, using a multi-criteria decision analysis approach (AHP) integrated with geospatial data. Five physical and social variables were considered: critical area, vegetation cover, fire history, slope, and population density. Expert-derived weights were incorporated into two program-specific models. Implementation priority levels were generated using standard deviation classification at both municipal and regional scales. The results reveal marked territorial contrasts and strong intra-municipal variability, particularly in heterogeneous landscapes. A high degree of convergence between the two programs was observed (79–90%), although 10–21% of villages shifted between priority classes. The dual-scale analysis shows how a small number of high-hazard municipalities disproportionately shape the overall priority structure. The proposed framework supports more transparent, consistent, and risk-informed prioritization, strengthening territorial wildfire governance and complementing national mitigation programs such as “Safe Villages” and “Safe People” and “Condominium of Villages”.