Portugal faces a dual threat: an ageing population and poorly insulated housing stock. This combination is problematic, especially during periods of rising temperatures, as is currently the case.
This is particularly evident in Lisbon, where a quarter of the population is already over 65. According to the latest Eurostat report, Portugal is the fastest-aging country in the European Union. If the demographic trend continues, it will be the oldest country in Europe by 2050.
A resident’s story
Zumira, 75, lives in Mouraria, in the heart of the capital. For her and her husband, who is ten years her senior, every night is hell, she explained on Wednesday in La Matinale de la RTS: “I wake up sweating, I go out on the balcony, I take a shower and I try to go back to sleep. We have to fight, fight…”
Like many others in Portugal, Zumira faces a major problem: energy poverty. This translates concretely into poor insulation of buildings against the heat. “I don’t have air conditioning, I can’t afford it. During heat waves, I close all the windows and we live in the dark. I only open them again in the evening to let some air in. We have no other choice,” she confides.
Sad review of summer 2022
This situation is corroborated by another recent field study carried out in Lisbon, which reveals that during intense heat waves, night-time temperatures inside homes can be 8 degrees higher than those outside, and even 14 degrees higher on some nights.
A real nightmare from which many residents cannot escape. According to the latest available data, the heat wave of summer 2022 caused more than 2,400 deaths in Portugal.
Radio subject: Vincent Barros
Adaptation web: Miroslav Mares
