The Portuguese adoption of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention: between over-protected and over-neglected landscapes

Abstract

The Council of Europe Landscape Convention (Council of Europe, 2000, 2016) was the first international treaty devoted exclusively to landscape matters. It aims to promote landscape protection, management and planning, as well as to facilitate European cooperation on landscape issues. A fundamental aspect of the Convention is the call for a paradigm shift from the dominant approach, which emphasises protecting landscapes of exceptional beauty or with rare ecological or cultural value, to advocating for the protection and enhancement of all landscapes, whether outstanding or ordinary (Conrad et al., 2011).

In the realm of scientific research over the past twenty-four years, the Convention has left a significant impact on landscape research, adopting both an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspective, as indicated by Pătru-Stupariu and Nita (2022). The author's literature review identifies landscape sustainability science and landscape governance as emerging research trends, aligning with broader discussions in the landscape research debate (Gonçalves & Pinho, 2022; Wu, 2021; Zhou et al., 2019).

However, despite the Convention’s impact on scientific research, its effects on the planning systems of signatory nations reveal variations in terms of implementation and outcomes. De Montis (2014) indeed demonstrated that the successful implementation of the Convention strongly depends on local government systems and on the prevailing practices that dominate their landscape planning.

In the Iberian context, Portugal was one of the signatory countries of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention. The Convention was officially enforced in Portugal in 2005, with the upcoming year marking its 20th anniversary. Recent research argues that the Portuguese trajectory differs from European landscape trends (Gonçalves & Pinho, 2023). Despite the influence of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention, the Portuguese legal framework continues to emphasise the protection of outstanding natural and cultural landscapes rather than adopting an integrative approach able to address all types of landscapes.

The influence of the Convention on Portuguese scientific research has yet to be thoroughly investigated, making it an unexplored but seemingly crucial topic. This significance is particularly notable when considering the observed landscape changes in the Portuguese continental context over the last few decades and the substantial implications of climate change. The 20^th anniversary of the Convention in Portugal offers an opportunity to delve into the Convention's impact and relevance within the Portuguese context over the past two decades. Through a literature review, our results provide a comprehensive understanding of how the Convention has influenced scientific research in Portugal. This enables us to identify critical areas for improvement and contribute insights for shaping future research and policy directions.