In two separate initiatives, the Associated Laboratory CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute expressed disagreement and concern over the proposed amendment to the Lei dos Solos, which changes the Legal Framework of Territorial Management Instruments of 2015, allowing municipalities to propose the reclassification of rural land into urban land. Aiming to revoke DL 117/2024, recently approved by the Government, the Board of CHANGE sent an open letter addressed to the government and the ANMP (published in Público Azul), along with a letter outlining six reasons for revoking the amendment to the Lei dos Solos, prepared by CHANGE researchers Cristina Máguas, Maria Amélia Loução, and Teresa Pinto Correia, in collaboration with a group of academics and environmentalists (published in Expresso).
The letter presents six solid arguments against the amendment to the Lei dos Solos, also emphasizing that there is no need to expand the areas allocated for residential construction. The signatories warn for the risks associated with this measure, including the worsening of extreme climate events, which could endanger housing and human lives, as well as significantly impact the landscape and ecosystems.
