CNPIC PARTICIPATION IN THE WORKSHOP TO PROMOTE THE GUIDE TO PROTECTING STRATEGIC HYDRAULIC INFRASTRUCTURES

The Spanish National Committee on Large Dams (SPANCOLD) organized a conference to disseminate the Guide to the Protection of Strategic Hydraulic Infrastructure, a high-level technical meeting that took place in the auditorium of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) in Madrid.

The conference brought together representatives from the General State Administration, law enforcement agencies, water operators, and experts from the water sector with the aim of disseminating and analyzing the new guide developed by SPANCOLD to strengthen the physical and cyber-physical security of strategic water infrastructure.

The event began with the presentation and opening session, which featured speeches by the Director General of Water; the Director of the National Center for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CNPIC); the Colonel, Head of the Protection and Security Service (SEPROSE) of the Civil Guard; and the President of SPANCOLD.

Next, the presentation of the Guide to the Protection of Strategic Hydraulic Infrastructure was developed, structured through the analysis of different risk and threat scenarios. The topics covered included historical cases, access control failures, physical access cuts, drone attacks, sabotage by internal personnel, malicious activation of floodgates, explosions or serious damage, sabotage of the drainage system, cybersecurity and cyber-physical risks, as well as intentional water contamination.

The conference continued with a question and answer session, followed by a round table discussion entitled “The security of hydraulic infrastructures,” which was moderated by the Area Coordinator of the Sub-Directorate General for Public Water Resources and Infrastructures of the Directorate General for Water, with the participation of experts from the CNPIC, the SEPROSE of the Civil Guard, the Duero Hydrographic Confederation, Canal de Isabel II, the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation, and Iberdrola.

The event was closed by the Secretary General of SPANCOLD and the Director of the Technical Committee for the Protection of Strategic Water Infrastructure of SPANCOLD.

This initiative reaffirms the commitment to continuously improving the safety and resilience of water infrastructure, which is considered essential for the country's water supply, civil protection, and sustainable development.