• Review of the activities initiated and the planning of future actions to ensure alignment with the strategic objectives of the project.
• The recognition of POCTEP Risc_Plus as a project of strategic importance reinforces its impact and guarantees support from the programme.

The joint working group of the Risc_Plus project has held its second strategic meeting with the participation of all partners (CHMS; UVigo; APA and FEUP) in the Water Campus building of the University of Vigo, located in Ourense. During the meeting, the degree of progress of the programmed activities was reviewed, as well as the planning of the actions to be developed in the next phases of the project.

The regulatory updates of the POCTEP 2021-2027 programme were addressed, whose purpose is to improve efficiency and transparency in the management of projects, in line with European guidelines. The importance of understanding and applying this new regulation to ensure the success of Risc_Plus was highlighted.

In addition, the rules already published by POCTEP were examined, emphasising the guidelines to be followed on the eligibility of expenditure and audit procedures. Likewise, the various management tools designed to facilitate the monitoring and coordination of project management were explored.

Regarding the development of the works, the Miño-Sil Hydrographic Confederation (CHMS) reported on the progress in the administrative processing of the projects, prior to the implementation of the new stations for the expansion of the Automatic Hydrological Information System Network (SAIH). In this regard, the start of the tendering procedure for 2 stations was reported, – Quiroga river in Quiroga (Lugo) and Sil river in Toreno (León) – and the progress on 2 others whose construction project has already been drafted (Narla river in Friol – Lugo and Tremor river in Torre del Bierzo -León).

For its part, the team from the University of Vigo presented the progress achieved in the MIDAS system, explaining its operation, emphasising the two models used at the hydrological (HEC-HMS) and hydraulic (IBER+) levels, as well as the future improvements that are intended to be implemented within the framework of this project.

The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) also presented the progress of the projects of two meteorological stations, as well as the assessment of the socio-economic impact of extreme events.

Finally, the FEUP detailed the information available for the new drought management tools.

The meeting concluded with the programming of the actions to be developed in the coming months, in the interest of achieving a more effective management and a more centralised communication, thus preparing to face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the POCTEP 2021-2027.