• Hydrometeorological stations that strengthen monitoring capacity in the river basins.

A Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) has completed the installation and modernization of hydrometeorological stations that strengthen monitoring capacity in the river basins of the Minho and Lima rivers, it was announced today.

The new equipment installed in the Alto Minho “enable progress towards more reliable predictive models and more proactive climate risk management,” explains the European project RISC_PLUS in a statement, within the scope of which APA is developing these initiatives.

The work carried out made it possible “to expand and strengthen the monitoring network through the installation of four completely new stations in Cavada (Caminha), Cerdeira (Vila Nova de Cerveira), Merufe (Monção) and Segude (Monção), in the district of Viana do Castelo.”

The equipment and telemetry systems of three other existing stations, belonging to APA’s Water Resources Surveillance and Alert System (SVARH), were also updated. These stations are located in Extremo (Arcos de Valdevez), Nogueira (Viana do Castelo) and Vila Nova de Cerveira.

“All stations incorporate state-of-the-art sensors and technology capable of continuously recording key parameters such as precipitation, discharge, temperature, humidity and water level,” the programme statement says. The programme is co-financed by the Interreg Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 European programme.

These data will allow “improving the accuracy of hydrological models and advancing the development of more effective early-warning systems against extreme events such as floods and droughts,” it adds.

The installation of these seven stations “represents a significant advance in improving shared hydrological knowledge and in strengthening technical cooperation between Spain and Portugal in the international basins of the Minho and Lima rivers.”

The RISC_PLUS project “focuses on solutions based on scientific knowledge, cross-border cooperation and technological innovation to ensure efficient and sustainable water management in a context shaped by climate change.”

APA explains on its website that the objective of this project, which has funding of around €1.6 million, “is to move towards a single hydrological plan to strengthen resilience to climate change.”

“Through cross-border cooperation between the entities responsible for managing the Minho and Lima rivers (Confederación Hidrográfica del Minõ-Sil and APA) and two research reference centres (the University of Vigo and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto), the project’s strength lies in the complementarity of its partner organisations and in the deepening and exchange of knowledge between Galicia and Portugal.