Valencia climate resilience efforts focus on digital twins and grid adaptation

Following the extreme weather event in October 2024 that affected Valencia, Spain, new technological and infrastructural strategies are being implemented to mitigate future climate risks.

The Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), in collaboration with ValgrAI and the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA), has introduced a hydrological digital twin. Part of the PGTEC platform, this tool uses real-time rainfall data to predict flooding in ravines, such as the Poyo ravine, providing a 48-hour forecast. The system visualizes water movement across territories, including urban areas and sensitive infrastructure, to assist emergency services with evacuations and resource mobilization.

Simultaneously, Iberdrola’s distribution subsidiary, i-DE, is shifting its electrical grid strategy from reactive repairs to proactive anticipation. After the October event left approximately 180,000 customers without power, the company launched Project Resilience. This initiative includes creating flood zone mapping, implementing more conservative design criteria, elevating equipment in high-risk areas, and integrating new climate variables into technical inventories to ensure the grid can withstand increasingly frequent extreme weather phenomena.