Weeds Take Over Lisbon Sidewalks: A Growing Urban Challenge

Weeds Taking Over Lisbon's Sidewalks

In the quieter streets of Lisbon, particularly due to climatic conditions, weeds are sprouting between the iconic Portuguese cobblestones. The responsibility for weed removal lies with the local parish councils, which are struggling to keep up with complaints from residents.

Madalena Guedes, an 83-year-old resident of São Vicente, expressed her frustration:

"It’s very annoying to have visitors or anyone pass by and it looks like we have a garden at our doorstep on the sidewalk."

Living on Rua Josefa de Óbidos, near the headquarters of the São Vicente parish, she noted that much of the sidewalk was overrun with tall weeds, litter, and even discarded items like a broken washing machine.

"It’s a shame for us Portuguese to have tourists come to such a dirty street," she lamented, pointing to visitors admiring the colorful graffiti nearby.

The state of the street has also been exacerbated by ongoing construction work, which lasted about three years, contributing to significant littering. Guedes criticized the delay in cleanup after the project concluded in April, stating:

"Only now, after all this time, have they come to cut the weeds. The street remains dirty, full of oil stains and dirt."

Surprised to see a team of three workers from the parish council finally tackling the weeds, Guedes even grabbed a broom to help clean up the cut vegetation.

Natalina Moura, the president of São Vicente parish, acknowledged that weed management has become a serious urban management issue, compounded by the lack of a product to inhibit weed growth alongside mechanical cutting.

"We are cutting them, but two weeks later they start growing back again," she explained.

This year's weather conditions have further complicated weed management, especially during local festivals and worker vacations. A passerby remarked on the need for more assistance in maintaining the sidewalks, even joking about using goats to graze the weeds due to their sheer volume.

Moura admitted that complaints are common, stating:

"There are complaints about everything, since everything comes to the parish council."

The priority for weed removal has been areas at risk of fire, with the current situation of public space in the parish becoming a public health issue due to the presence of vermin like rats and cockroaches.

"If they had come from a village like I did, they would have cleared the weeds themselves, but people don’t do that, and it worsens urban hygiene issues."

João Adrião, environmental manager for the parish, noted that previous methods using herbicides have been banned due to health concerns, leaving only mechanical cutting as the solution.

"This requires one person to cut, another to protect the stones and weeds, and a third to clean up, which is a tremendous effort."

To address these challenges, the parish has contracted a company to assist with weed removal, aiming to have all streets clear of weeds within a month, although they anticipate the issue will return once it rains.

The problem of invasive weeds is widespread, affecting not just São Vicente but also Alvalade, where the local council is also working to manage the weed issue across its neighborhoods.

"This year has been atypical due to adverse weather conditions for weed growth, requiring much more focus on this task," stated Cristiana Vieira, a member of the Alvalade council.

Currently, Alvalade has five daily teams equipped with battery-powered trimmers to manage the situation, reinforcing their commitment to using environmentally friendly products that do not harm people or animals.