As part of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), BRGM (French Geological Survey) has been selected to present a poster on Friday, 8 May 2026.
The poster is entitled: “TOWARDS BETTER ADAPTATION OF THERMAL TERRITORIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE”: THE THERMECOWAT PROJECT.
The sustainability of spa territories relies on mineral and thermal groundwater, historically exploited for medical and energy purposes. Climate change now threatens these resources, altering water quality, quantity, and governance, particularly in the SUDOE region, where reduced and redistributed rainfall exacerbates these challenges.
The ThermEcoWat Project addresses this through a participatory methodology integrating environmental, socio-economic, and regulatory dimensions. A consortium of geoscientists, urban managers, and entrepreneurs (Chaudes-Aigues, Caldes de Montbui, São Pedro do Sul) aims to (1) diagnose pilot-site operations and their thermal resource links, (2) assess current and future constraints on resource use, (3) propose sustainable, consensus-based solutions.
This approach, built on a multidisciplinary knowledge base and a semantic decision-support tool, is designed for replicability across Europe to enhance the resilience of thermal territories.
Author and sources:
V. Klaba¹, C. Iasio¹, C. Aumar¹, C. Brunet¹, G. Arnó², R.M. Moreno², E. Ramalho³, J. Carvalho³, L.M. Ferreira Gomes4, L. Ferreira5, A. Jorge5, N. Almeida6, J. Diéguez7, Q. Madorell Batlle7, I. Pineda Moncusi7, J. Martin Forns7, M. Roussel8, E. Brut8
¹ BRGM Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Site de Clermont-Ferrand, 12 Avenue des Landais, 63170 Aubière, France
² Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunyaa, Passeig de Santa Madrona, 45, Sants-Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, España
3Laboratorio Nacional de Energia e Geologia, Estrada da Portela, Bairro do Zambujal, 2610-999 Amadora, Portugal
4Universidade da Beira Interior, R. Marquês de Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
5Termas de São Pedro do Sul, Praça Dr. António José de Almeida Termas de, 3660-692 São Pedro do Sul, Portugal
6Camara Municipal de São Pedro do Sul, Largo de Camões, 3660-436 São Pedro do Sul, Portugal
7Ajuntament de Caldes de Montbui, Plaça Font del Lleó, 11, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, España
8ThermAuvergne, 8 Avenue Anatole France, 63130 Royat, France