26 Nov The partners in the Miño-Limia river basin are very satisfied with the outcome of the project
- The investment exceeded 2.3 million euros.
- Execution of 8 SAIH stations in the Spanish part and 2 in the Portuguese part -level, flow and precipitation data-, and 5 new SAICA stations in the Spanish part, -temperature, turbidity, oxygen, conductivity, ph- , in real time.
- Analysis of the basin by revising the hydrographic network and obtaining a new digital terrain model of the Portuguese part from a LIDAR flight.
- New early warning system for floods will provide a forecast of flows and flood extent to anticipate extreme phenomena.
- “In view of the high degree of coordination and cross-border cooperation achieved and the results obtained, it would be important to continue the project in a new joint application,” said the president.
Ourense, November 26, 2021.– The closing day of the RISC_Miño Limia Project was held yesterday, with the attendance, by videoconference, of all beneficiary partners; on the Portuguese side, the Portuguese Environment Agency APA and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto; on the Spanish side, the Campus of Ourense of the University of Vigo and the Hydrographic Confederation of Miño-Sil O.A., as the main partner.
The RISC_ML Project was created to improve the management and response capacity to the problems associated with extreme events, floods and droughts, and to mitigate their effects in the international hydrographic demarcation of the Miño and Limia river basins.
With a budget of 2.3 million euros, the project started in the summer of 2017 and ends next December 31, after being extended due to the situation generated by COVID-19.
Closing Day and Conclusions
The meeting served to present in detail the results of the project, firstly, the analysis of the basin was discussed through the review of the hydrographic network of the demarcation, as well as the obtaining of a new digital terrain model of the Portuguese part, from a LIDAR flight.
Similarly, the conclusions of the study of the impact of climate change on water resources in the international demarcation have been shown, highlighting the expected decrease in both the medium and long term.
The data of the special drought plan in the International DH have been presented, in which the same indicators and status indexes have been used in the Portuguese and Spanish parts of the Demarcation, distinguishing between prolonged drought and temporary shortage, so that by applying them, mitigating measures can be anticipated to the maximum in the face of these extreme phenomena.
In addition, it was explained that with the new early warning system for floods, based on the rainfall forecast data provided by several organizations, including AeMET and Meteogalicia, a forecast of flows and the extent of flooding is obtained, so that measures can be taken to deal with this phenomenon as far in advance as possible.
On the other hand, it has been announced the improvement of data communications in real time, through the increase in the number of control points of the hydrometry network, with 8 new points for the Automatic Hydrological Information System (SAIH) of the Spanish part and 2 for the National Water Resources Information System (SNRHI) of the Portuguese part, with which level, flow and precipitation data are obtained.
In the same sense, the increase in the number of stations of the Automatic Water Quality System Network (SAICA) to 5, for the reception, in real time, of data on temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH or ammonium, with which specific pollution episodes will be detected.
As regards coordination and communication between the two countries, the 26 meetings of the joint working group and the 4 meetings of the Management Committee, the project’s governing body, as well as the presentation of the project at conferences and seminars, and the implementation of the project’s web page, should be highlighted.
The partners have expressed their satisfaction with the high level of execution of the project at a technical and economic level, which has made it possible to achieve the objectives set. “In view of the high degree of coordination and cross-border cooperation achieved and the results obtained, it would be important to continue the project in a new joint application,” said the president.
“The prevention, protection and preparation against extreme phenomena, floods and droughts, is the key to avoid damage to people and their property” concluded Quiroga.