The third vice-president and minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, took advantage of her presence at the Spain Investors Day, held in Madrid in early January, to announce the government's intention to approve the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (Proyecto Estratégico para la Recuperación y Transformación Económica, PERTE) aimed at digitalising water management in our country during the first quarter of 2022.

The water PERTE, in the words of the minister and as reproduced in the media, will make it possible to transform and modernise water management systems. This plan will be used for the urban water cycle, as well as for irrigation and industrial uses. The financial envelope projected for the period between 2022 and 2026 is approximately 3 billion euros.

Public-private partnership
According to Ribera, 400 million will be allocated at the moment  to financing this PERTE this year. Part of this budget will be implemented through the grants call from Miteco, the abbreviation by which her ministry is usually referred to. The other part will be managed by the regional governments. The project will also serve to raise returnable funds from the Next Generation plan, with the aim of promoting public-private partnerships.

The draft PERTE was presented last June. On that occasion, the minister referred to the changes in the water system that Spain is undergoing, together with the medium- and long-term forecasts on water availability, to justify the need for such a project. The new planning aims to curb the overuse of aquifers, the contamination of water bodies and the deterioration of rivers.

Digitalisation of water
One of the most valuable tools for achieving the goals of the plan is the digitalisation of water resources management. By using big data and advanced analytical techniques, and with the creation of a shared database, the uses made of water, its quality and management of the infrastructure involved in its processes will in this way gain in transparency.

The implementation of the water PERTE and resources such as drone and satellite imagery, along with use of smart meters and cybersecurity will improve treatment systems, guarantee supply, reduce losses, encourage consumption savings and facilitate reuse, amongst other benefits. It will also help to restore aquifers and rivers, restrict the use of groundwater and improve the safety of dams and reservoirs.

^{Photo: Moncloa}