EDIA, the public company that manages the public system of water reservoirs and natural resources in the geographical area of Alqueva, Portugal, is one of the partners developing the Germ of Life project, and has presented it at the 17th Water Congress, in the Portuguese city of Lagos. Luisa Pinto, Director of the EDIA Department of Environmental and Heritage Impacts, and Inés Camilo, an environmental management engineer, have explained the project.
Organized by Portuguese Water Resources Association, this is the largest and most emblematic national event on Water Resources, bringing together professionals and students for over 45 years to discuss challenges, solutions and the future of water management.
Water governance was a central element in the program of the congress, and appropriate public policies are needed for water resources and for the sectoral uses of these resources. The approach was holistic, integrated and cross-sectoral.
EDIA explained that Germ of Life has pilot projects underway in Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece.
The partners have pilot areas, which allow for a definition of drought risk specific to the Mediterranean area and a more appropriate definition of three important dimensions:
The severity and probability of a drought event occurring.
The territories, ecosystems and populations exposed.
The vulnerability and the capacity to adopt technical solutions based on transnational collaboration and the sharing of practices and mitigation measures.
The results of the pilot areas will allow the platforms to be adapted and optimized for different contexts.
