Blog: Localizing Red Cross climate action in Portugal

By Fleur Monasso, Climate Centre, Braga, Portugal

Last week, walking the cobbled streets of the northern Portuguese cathedral city of Braga, I gained a deep appreciation of the work of the local Red Cross branch and the strong connection it maintains with its local community.

Established there in 1870, the Red Cross has a long-standing presence in Braga. Since then, it has focused on building human dignity and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable members of society.

The Braga branch is deeply integrated into the fabric of the city. This is evident not only through the range of Red Cross activities across the town but also through the broad support it receives from the private sector, including local hotels and restaurants.

The branch provides key services to individuals experiencing homelessness. This includes a shelter, operated 24/7 by volunteers, that supports over 40 homeless people. It also offers assistance with job placement and access to permanent housing.

The branch runs intervention teams that go out into the streets every night to check on individuals who are not currently staying in the shelter, ensuring their safety and well-being.

Amongst its many other activities, the branch also supports of integration of migrants, running second-hand clothing shops and hosting nurseries.

Volunteers support emergency operations, organize training for risk management and social interventions for people with addictive behaviours and dependencies, and empower large youth groups to support all their work.

Heat risks

This World Red Cross Red Crescent Day on 8 May, the Portuguese Red Cross organized a major climate event, selecting Braga as the springboard for dialogue and collaboration with local authorities, the private sector and the community.

The Climate Centre was invited to join the event to speak on science, impacts and solutions, aiming to identify ways to protect the district’s population from extreme events and integrate climate risks into existing humanitarian efforts.

The gathering highlighted the concern of the Portuguese Red Cross about the climate crisis and explored steps to protect communities and help them adapt; we also facilitated sessions with young volunteers and staff to deepen their engagement with climate issues.

Braga and the district around it of the same name are already advancing long-term climate adaptation through measures such as enhancing parks to provide a buffer against extreme weather with permeable pathways to absorb heavy rain, and trees to reduce heat-risks.

The event served as a springboard for local dialogue and collaboration, aiming to identify new ways to protect the city’s population from extreme events and integrate climate risks into existing humanitarian efforts.

The Braga branch emerges as an example to the Red Cross in Europe, comprehensively living up to the vision of the climate action road map for the continent of a “strong network of National Societies and their leadership, as well as branches, youth and volunteers … driving forward urgent transformative, locally led climate action and community resilience at scale.”

Braga Red Cross volunteers check on elderly residents as part of a wide-range of activities supported by local business. (Photo: Portuguese Red Cross)