Water and Climate Debated at the XI New Paradigms of Civil Protection Conference

On 29 May, the Espinho Forum of Art and Culture (FACE) hosted the 11th Conference on New Paradigms in Civil Protection, a national event that brought together experts, civil protection agents, researchers and members of civil society to discuss the central theme “Water and Civil Protection Risks”.

This event, organised by Universidade Lusófona – Porto University Centre, through its Department of Civil Protection and supported by the Municipality of Espinho, reaffirmed its role as a key forum for reflection and the exchange of experiences on the evolving challenges of civil protection in the context of growing climate change.

Structured into four thematic panels, the conference addressed real disaster cases, climate risks and their impact on spatial planning, the challenges of prevention, coastal risks and public policy strategies for climate change adaptation.

The conference featured contributions from highly regarded experts, including Vanda Cabrinha Pires (chief climatologist at the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere), Richard Marques (President of the Madeira Regional Civil Protection Service), José Ribeiro (Regional Commander for Alentejo, National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection), Mário Marques (climatologist at PLANOCLIMA), António Bento Gonçalves (Associate Professor at the University of Minho), Susana Bernardo (representative of REDIFOGO), António Godinho (Municipal Civil Protection Coordinator of Almada), Pedro Louro (Municipal Civil Protection Coordinator of Espinho), Pedro Pinto Santos (Assistant Professor at the University of Lisbon), Duarte Caldeira (President of the Centre for Civil Protection Studies and Intervention) and José Manuel Moura (President of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection).

During the morning, the sessions focused on climate threats, highlighting major events such as the Lisbon floods of 1967, the extreme weather events in Madeira in 2010, and the recent floods in Valencia in 2024. The following panel addressed the risks stemming from climate change and the urgent need to incorporate them into territorial planning strategies.

The afternoon sessions were dedicated to the challenges of prevention, including a technical lecture by REDIFOGO – Protective and Safety Materials, one of the event sponsors, and two panels on coastal zone safety and public policies for the prevention and adaptation to water-related risks.

José Manuel Moura, President of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, closed the conference with a speech emphasising the importance of adapting response and resilience systems to face intensifying climate threats, underlining the need for coordinated action among public and private entities and the community.

The New Paradigms in Civil Protection Conference has established itself as one of the main technical and scientific forums on civil protection in Portugal, promoting a shared culture of safety and encouraging dialogue between institutions and civil society.

View Event Photos on ULusófona’s Facebook

Text
Sofia Pereira

Photography
Catarina Machado

Video (Coverage)
Catarina Machado

Video (Editing)
Catarina Machado