The European AGEO project, led by Instituto Superior Técnico and supported by the European Interreg Atlantic Area programme, is a finalist in the European Regiostars Awards in the Green Europe category. AGEO brings together researchers, local communities, and policymakers in a collaborative strategy for geological risk management in Atlantic regions. It is the only European cooperation project finalist led by a Portuguese institution, specifically Instituto Superior Técnico.
From 2019 to 2023, the project, coordinated by Rui Carrilho Gomes, a professor at Técnico and a researcher at the Civil Engineering Research and Innovation Institute for Sustainability (CEris), implemented five citizen observatories. This pilot project demonstrated the benefits of empowering local communities to participate in climate challenge warning systems. The goal is to help protect European citizens from high-impact events and various risk scenarios such as landslides, seismic activity, floods, and coastal erosion. The project particularly focuses on the Portuguese regions of Greater Lisbon and Madeira, as well as the Canary Islands, the French region of Brittany, and the Causeway Coast area in Northern Ireland.
Prevention and mitigation actions implemented in Portugal and partnering countries included the development of a platform and application that enhance interaction between citizens and institutions. This system allows citizens to report events and receive information from the institutions that manage the risk system. Additionally, training was provided to citizens, enabling them to identify signs of natural disasters and offer assistance to vulnerable individuals.
AGEO is the first project supported by Interreg Atlantic Area to reach the final stage of the European Regiostars Awards. This is the only European cooperation programme managed by Portugal, with the Managing Authority located at CCDR Norte. The grand finalist in each category, along with the award that receives the most public votes, will be announced on 15 October at an awards ceremony in Brussels during the European Week of Regions and Cities.
Public voting will take place online on the initiative’s official website from 2 September to 15 October.
