GarMultiRisk Project Feedback Sessions

On May 6 and 7, 2025, the feedback sessions for the GarMultiRisk project were held at the Hostalnou de Bianya civic center. The aim was to present a first draft of the Natural Hazard Risk Reduction and Management Plan for the Garrotxa region.

This plan is the result of a project funded by the Biodiversity Foundation, coordinated by the Centre for Territorial Sustainability (CST), and in collaboration with the Consell Comarcal de la Garrotxa and the Consorci de Medi Ambient i Salut Pública (SIGMA). The scientific component was led by the Servei d’Avaluació i Gestió dels Riscos Naturals (NRAMS), a research group within the l’Institut de Diagnòstic Ambiental i Estudis de l’Aigua (IDAEA), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

The May 6 session was aimed at technical and emergency personnel, with participation from representatives of the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police), Local Police, Civil Protection, Firefighters, Red Cross, and SIGMA. The May 7 session was geared toward political figures, with attendees including mayors and councilors from Les Preses, Oix, La Vall d’en Bas, and Argelaguer.

Llorenç Planagumà, a member of CST and the company GeoNat, kicked off both sessions by explaining the project's origin and its importance. This was followed by a presentation from Dr. Marta López Saavedra, scientist and co-leader of the NRAMS group, who outlined the various parts of the Plan. Additional contributors included: Dr. Joan Martí Molist, volcanology expert and NRAMS co-leader; Arnau Lagresa, geographic information systems expert and NRAMS member; and Alba Ocaña, environmental technician at SIGMA and part of the Plan's drafting team.

The sessions were considered very successful, as they opened a space for discussion and improved communication between different stakeholders. Additionally, they served as outreach activities to explain the dynamics of certain natural hazards, present the maps developed, and share the results of the survey on the perception of natural hazards in Garrotxa. Valuable contributions were also collected to be incorporated into the final Plan, which will be delivered at the end of May to coincide with the project's conclusion.

These sessions represented a return on the work carried out throughout the project and complemented the training workshops held a year earlier, on April 8 and 9, 2024, at Can Trona, also targeting technical staff, emergency services, and political representatives. Towards the end of May or early June, additional outreach sessions are planned, this time aimed at the general public.

Although the GarMultiRisk project has a formal end date, all entities and research groups involved are committed to continuing to generate synergies and deepen the understanding of the various natural hazards affecting the Garrotxa region. The ultimate goal is to improve the resilience of mountain areas like this one, which are particularly vulnerable to the potential impacts of climate change.

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El projecte GarMultiRisk compta amb el suport de la Fundación Biodiversidad del Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, a través de la Convocatoria de subvenciones para la realización de proyectos que contribuyan a implementar el Plan Nacional de Adaptación al Cambio Climático (2021-2030).

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