WELCOME TO THE XXVI REALP MEETING – MAPUTO 2027

The Network for Environmental Studies of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (REALP) was created in 1997 with the aim of promoting scientific and pedagogical cooperation in the area of environment and sustainability in Portuguese. REALP integrates 22 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste. Over almost three decades, REALP has become a research, innovation and scientific extension network that brings together experiences, knowledge and solutions for sustainable economic, social, cultural and environmental development.

REALP Priorities

Within the scope of their structural activities, REALP members consider the following to be a priority:

• Contribute to preserving the environment and improving the quality of life of populations, an essential condition for the sustainability of nations and the harmony of international relations;
• Promote advanced training of human resources for research, analysis, planning and decision-making on environmental issues;
• Promote integrated research between institutions, optimizing human and material resources;
• Strengthen cooperation instruments in the field of the environment, in line with the Lisbon Declaration (1997), resulting from the 1st Interministerial Conference on the Environment of the CPLP;
• Enable the integration of other CPLP HEIs into the network.

Respect for the Other, in their difference, acceptance and integration, continues to be the premise that guides us in our work for a better, fairer and more equitable world.

In addition to its meetings, REALP organizes webinars, seminars, book launches, academic mobility and extension actions, such as nature restoration through tree planting and cleaning campaigns.

Maputo 2027: a meeting of celebration and sharing

The XXVI REALP Meeting will take place from 26th to 30th October 2027, at the Pedagogical University of Maputo (UP-Maputo), at the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences (FCTA), Lhanguene Campus, City of Maputo, Mozambique. The choice of Maputo was decided at the XXV Meeting, at the University of Évora. The Meeting takes place at a special time, as it coincides with the celebrations of the 42nd anniversary of the Pedagógica University and the 30th anniversary of REALP.

Meeting Theme

Climate Resilience and Sustainability in Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Science, Community and Innovation

Portuguese-speaking countries, especially on the African continent, are increasingly affected by extreme weather events, such as cyclones, severe floods and prolonged droughts, which leave local communities in a vulnerable situation. These events are compounded by the loss of biodiversity, plastic and chemical pollution, pressure on water and natural resources, the challenges of sanitation and waste management in rapidly growing cities and the erosion of coastal areas. None of these challenges can be solved by a single institution or a single country.

By bringing together researchers, students, political decision-makers, territorial managers, businesspeople and communities from different parts of the world, we want to reflect on how science can help communities strengthen their capacity for adaptation and resilience. How can scientific knowledge reach the communities most exposed to climate risks? What innovations and forms of cooperation will allow us to build safer, fairer and more sustainable territories? What role does REALP play in building this common future?

Program and thematic axes

The Meeting will have plenary conferences, round tables, thematic sessions with presentations of participants' work and cultural activities, organized around the following thematic axes:

• Planetary Health, Biodiversity and Conservation (SPBC);
• Society, Education and Environmental Literacy (SELA);
• Circularity and Innovation & Social Transition (CITS);
• Risks, Adaptation & Safe Communities (RACS);
• Territory, Cities & Nature-Based Solutions (TCSBN).

Invitation from the Organizing Committee

The Organizing Committee is pleased to invite the entire academic and scientific community, partner institutions and civil society organizations to join us for five days of knowledge sharing, debate and celebration.

Welcome to Maputo!

Welcome to the XXVI REALP Meeting, from 26 to 30 October 2027, at the Pedagogical University of Maputo, located in the city of Maputo, in Mozambique, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean!

José Júlio Júnior Guambe
President of the REALP 2027 Organizing Committee