The SOLLAGUA project, a three-year initiative co-funded by the Interreg SUDOE 2021-2027 programme that looks into nature-based solutions (NBS) for water reuse in rural areas, held its second consortium meeting in Lisbon on June 20–21, 2024. The two-day event was organized by the Portuguese partners Tecnico Lisboa and Águas do Tejo Atlântico at the Fábrica de Água de Alcântara (Lisbon) and brought together representatives of the ten project beneficiaries as well as some associated partners.

The first day of the meeting was mainly dedicated to evaluating the state of the art of the project. Every partner provided an update on their respective contributions, outlining noteworthy accomplishments and insightful discoveries made since the kick-off meeting in Toulouse, France, in January.

This cooperative information sharing made it possible to provide a thorough overview of the consortium’s accomplishments and cleared the path for efficient planning during the project’s subsequent implementation phase. Another important issue on the agenda of the first day of the gathering was the need to optimize the associated partners (26 in total) process engagement.

Magali Gerino, the project coordinator from the Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier, underlined this task “in order to expand the scope of action of the project on all levels.”

During the second day of the meeting, the consortium focused its discussions on the obligations of the beneficiaries in terms of administrative and financial management and the communication and dissemination strategy. For the Interreg SUDOE, this aspect must be at the core of every work package with a view to raising awareness about project policy priorities and the importance of this kind of European programme to build up a greener future.

Towards the end of the consortium meeting, partners had the chance to enjoy a breathtaking experience: a guided tour (underground!) at the purification plant Fábrica de Água de Alcântara (Lisbon). What a refreshing wrap-up!