An opportunity to review the most important results on polar science, policy making, education and capacity building, as well as preliminary results from last field season.
Registration and abstracts submission is open until 30 September 2019.
PROPOLAR started in 2007 with the support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)
The remarkable effort and commitment of the Portuguese Polar Scientists within the IV International Polar Year (IPY 2007-08), were key to promote awareness on the importance of polar science and research for Portugal. By that time, an overview of a National Polar Strategic Planning was designed leading to the creation of the Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR).
Strategic Planning framework
Since the IV IPY 2007-08, the portuguese polar community has fastly grow and consolidate it’s research in a wide spectrum of scientific topics, reinforcing the need for a sustainable strategy for the development of Portuguese Polar science.
Vision
PROPOLAR aims at contribute to knowledge of the Earth system and its responses to human pressures, by understanding the role of polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) as key drivers of the Earth‘s climate system and the functioning of the oceans, to help Portugal dealing with developing resilience to environmental hazards and managing environmental change.
Mission
The mission of PROPOLAR is to promote and support the development of the Portuguese polar science, by providing access of Portuguese scientists to the Arctic and Antarctica, and encouraging multidisciplinary research to enhance knowledge on the Polar Regions, and their role on the global system and on how it reacts to ever-increasing human pressures.
Objectives
ProPOLAR is devoted to accomplish its mission, setting specific broad goals for their initiatives, on scientific, education and policy levels, either national as internationally.
encourage the Portuguese scientific community, by promoting multidisciplinary scientific collaboration and dissemination of scientific knowledge, to develop strategies for the development of Portuguese polar science towards integration into national and international policies
provide access of Portuguese scientists to Polar regions by managing necessary means to ensure their activities, with the support of international cooperation with other Polar programs
enhance scientific collaboration and logistical cooperation with other countries engaged in polar research
support young polar scientists by stimulating career development and internationalisation
increase awareness within the Portuguese society on the relevance of polar regions and ecosystems, and the importance of the national and international polar science, through education and outreach activities
encourage the engagement of national industry on polar science with a view to supporting innovation and technological development
collaborate with the Portuguese government to ensure the implementation of standards for research in Antarctica, under the Antarctic Treaty, the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and other regulations
collaborate with the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) to implement scientific strategies and action plans for the Portuguese polar science.
Strategy
Polar Regions are the key drivers of the global climate system, and particularly vulnerable to climate change. Although geographically distant from Portugal, the Earth’s Polar Regions experience changes that affect the rest of the Planet. Portugal has a coastline extension of more than 900 km, influenced by different currents, and referred to as particularly vulnerable to climate change. Temperature and precipitation changes are already affecting Portugal, as well as increasing extreme events such as severe droughts, storms, floods and heat waves, with consequences to ecosystem functioning and dynamics, and therefore to human populations, fisheries, forestry and other natural resources.
The Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR) is based at Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território, of the University of Lisbon (IGOT-ULISBOA). It’s Coordinating Commitee is composed by 5 members from distinct portuguese research centers. The Executive Team, with 2 permanent members, implement the committee’s decision-making in close connection with the FCT portuguese funding agency.
Coordinating Commitee
Gonçalo Vieira
Head of PROPOLAR Coordination
Research Center: Centro de Estudos Geográficos (CEG), at the Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território, University of Lisbon (IGOT-ULISBOA)
Scientific Domain: Permafrost, and Periglacial Environments
Portuguese Polar Program 