24th National Ecology Meeting
“Ecology in Planetary Health” | November 20-22, 2025 | Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon
From November 20 to 22, 2025, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon will host the 24th edition of the National Ecology Meeting (ENE), an event promoted by the Portuguese Ecology Society (SPECO), this year under the theme “Ecology in Planetary Health”.
The concept of Planetary Health takes on a central role in a world faced with unprecedented environmental, health and social crises. The interdependence between human, animal and ecological health - already recognized in the “One Health” concept introduced in 2000 - was expanded with the definition of Planetary Health proposed by the Rockefeller Foundation in 2015. The recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (2020-2022) has reinforced this critical link, highlighting the impacts of human-induced changes on the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems.
Changes to the landscape - such as deforestation, recurrent fires or intensive grazing - increase the risk of contact between wild species, domestic animals and human populations, favoring the emergence of zoonoses, which are responsible for around 60% of human diseases. On the other hand, intensive production systems, pressure on water resources, contamination by agricultural waste and increasing dependence on disposable materials accelerate the mechanisms of transmission and global dispersion of diseases.
What role does ecology play in understanding these phenomena and building sustainable solutions? This ENE aims to answer this question by promoting a space for interdisciplinary dialog, centered on science and its applicability to public policies and strategies for mitigating global risks. As is traditional at ENEs, the focus remains clear: there are no effective answers without robust scientific knowledge.
One of the key moments of this edition will be the round table dedicated to the interdisciplinary challenges of Planetary Health, at a crossroads between Ecology, Medicine and Social Economy. This discussion is especially important in a year when the University of Lisbon is launching its new doctoral program in Planetary Health Studies, reinforcing its commitment to training and research in areas that are critical to the future of the planet.
This ENE is also symbolic: SPECO is celebrating 30 years of existence, having always counted on the Faculty of Sciences as its host institution. The choice of venue for this 24th meeting is therefore natural and significant.
This meeting is organized by the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change (cE3c), the Institute for Global Change and Sustainability (CHANGE), the Centre for Marine and Environmental Sciences (MARE) and ARNET - Aquatic Research Network.
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