On 22 January, SponegBoost members of CIREF participated in the XIII AEC International Congress, held in the historic town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain. The event provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges posed by the new climate paradigm to society, bringing together experts from various fields to address these issues and explore solutions in the fight against climate change.

Under the theme "From Basic Science to Climate Services", the Congress focused on key topics such as climate modelling, extreme weather variability, social vulnerability, and the development of climate services to improve decision-making.

In this context, the SpongeBoost partners focused on characterising a meteorological phenomenon of great relevance to their case study in Galicia: fog. Through the analysis of records available since 2011, they have been able to quantify the magnitude and significance of this phenomenon, which is very common in the Serra do Xistral. With average values close to 16,000 mm of accumulated annual precipitation, fog represents the main water source for their peat bogs, shaping the landscape and highlighting its uniqueness and environmental value.

This contribution has brought them closer to understanding the functioning of this sponge-like territory, which is essential for the region. Thanks to the research framework provided by the SpongeBoost project, they are able to deepen this knowledge further and develop effective adaptation and mitigation strategies, with the support of local stakeholders.