In a context of increasing urbanisation, inland regions in Portugal and Europe face a challenge to their survival.
Depopulation, lack of investment and the centralisation of services in large cities have led to a gradual loss of economic and cultural dynamism in these areas. However, it is precisely in these areas that one of the continent’s greatest reserves of sustainability, identity and strategic resources is to be found.
The Portuguese interior, from Alto Alentejo to the mountains of Beira and Trás-os-Montes, preserves not only ancestral traditions and knowledge, but also vast natural resources and opportunities for a green and digital economy. In times of climate crisis and the search for alternatives to urban concentration, these regions are proving to be fundamental to a more balanced development model.
Rural areas are responsible for preserving ecosystems that are essential to maintaining Europe’s environmental balance. It is in these areas that water is protected, forests are managed and much of the food that supplies urban centres is produced. Enhancing the value of rural areas is therefore not only a matter of territorial cohesion, but also an ecological and economic necessity.
The advance of the bioeconomy, renewable energies and sustainable tourism now offers real opportunities for local populations and entrepreneurs. With the right policies and technological investment, the interior can become a driving force in Europe’s energy and digital transition.
More than just GDP figures, the interior represents an invaluable human and cultural dimension. It is in the villages, markets and traditional crafts that the roots of Portugal’s identity are kept alive. Their preservation and revitalisation are also a way of protecting Europe’s intangible heritage, linking generations and territories.
Encouraging repopulation, improving digital infrastructure and promoting administrative decentralisation are key steps towards restoring the interior to its rightful place in the spotlight.
The European Union has already recognised the importance of rural areas in its development and cohesion plan for 2050. The future of Portugal — and, on a larger scale, of Europe — depends on the ability to balance the growth of metropolitan areas with the revitalisation of inland areas.
Investing in the interior is not a gesture of geographical charity: it is a strategic investment in the sustainable, human and territorial future of the continent.