Victor van Dooren is Head of Nature for People (and former Enterprise Manager) at Rewilding Europe and one of the key figures responsible for defining and implementing the European strategy dedicated to creating new nature-based business opportunities through rewilding carried out on the ground. In this interview, he discusses the priorities for the coming years, the potential of the Wilder Places platform, and analyzes the sustained growth of the Wild Côa Network project in Portugal.

In 2025, the Wild Côa Network reaffirmed its position as one of the most significant projects in the Greater Côa Valley region in recent years, consolidating an ambitious vision: to transform nature conservation into a driving force for socio-economic development in this region. Promoted by Rewilding Portugal, the network currently brings together 64 companies, united by a shared vision for the future: to make the Greater Côa Valley “the wildest part of Portugal” and thereby boost its appeal.

Rewilding Portugal ended 2025 with very positive results in its nature tourism sector, further establishing this market as a strategic pillar of its operations and for the revitalisation of the Greater Côa Valley region.

The energy transition is now an unavoidable priority on a global scale and has been identified as an urgent solution to the current climate challenges. In the face of climate change, dependence on fossil fuels and energy instability in an increasingly volatile world, it is only natural that renewable energy should emerge as an essential solution for reducing carbon emissions and building a more resilient future with reduced energy dependence, including between countries. However, as this transition progresses rapidly – and often without adequate oversight, driven by economic interests that dictate investment markets – it is becoming increasingly clear that ‘green’ energy is not automatically sustainable energy, or even ‘green’ in the true sense of the word, at least on its own.

A river is not merely a watercourse. It is a living, constantly changing system that connects landscapes, transports sediment, sustains biodiversity and has shaped the human cultures living around it for thousands of years. To truly fulfil this role in a functional way, a river must be free. In Portugal, the vast majority of rivers are fragmented by artificial barriers that disrupt this continuity. The River Côa is a prime example of this reality, but also a symbol of hope for its restoration.

In the natural world, the balance of a landscape rarely depends on a single species, even when that species fulfils similar functions. On the contrary, it arises from diversity, interaction and time. It is precisely this principle that lies at the heart of one of the main objectives of rewilding in Portugal: the return of mixed herds of large herbivores living in a semi-wild state.