The Erasmus+ EMPOANDES project “EMPOwer ANDES societies to improve adaptation to climate change through the co-creation of climate services capacities” (Dec 2025 – Feb 2028; http://empoandes.eu) kick-off-meeting took place in a hybrid mode during 20-22 January 2026 in Quito, Ecuador. In total, 42 participants attended the event including 27 persons onsite and 15 persons online. This event was hosted by the Universidad de las Americas (UDLA). The agenda included a series of presentations and discussions arranged in 3 days.

On 20^th January, the kick-off-meeting started from the institutional welcome, the EMPOANDES project history and overview; and the introduction of the project consortium – 16 Partners/ leading institutions from 3 European and 5 Latin American countries. The project consortium includes from Europe the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain, the University of Patras, Greece, and the University of Helsinki, Finland; and from Latin America (universities and national meteorological services from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile, and Bolivia), as well as key research centers like the Centro Internacional de Investigación del Fenómeno del Niño, collaboratively addressing climate education and services.
The project implementation included presentations and discussions on working packages (WPs) tasks, deliverables, milestones, activities, etc.: (1) Project Management, (2) Definition of Higher Education Institutions, and Community Needs; (3) Curricula Development, (4) Staff Capacity Building; (5) Piloting Capacity Development and Community Empowerment; and finally, the first day ended with concluding remarks.

On 21^st January, the WP6 on “Dissemination and Communication” was presented, as well as the Communication Board and the Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education (CBHE) Grant Holders meetings took place. Then, the presentations on the EMPOANDES Project Structures continued and included talks about the Communication and Executive Board, External Advisory Board, Sustanability and Legacy Board. Onsite participants travelled to the Universidad central de Ecuador (UCE) in Quito for other activities including sightseeing, and joint dinner.

On 22^nd January, the EMPOANDES networking projects/ activities were presented and discussed, and these included: (1) ClimEd “Multilevel Local, Nation- and Regionwide Education and Training in Climate Services, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation” (2020-2026; http://climed.network); (2) CLUVEX “Climate University for Virtual Exchange” (2023-2026; https://www.atm.helsinki.fi/cluvex); (3) CU “Climate University” (2018-present; https://www.climateuniversity.fi) to educate competencies the society needs to tackle the challenges of climate change and the sustainability crisis; (4) ENANDES “Enhancing Adaptive Capacity of Andean Communities through Climate Services” focused on Chile, Colombia, and Peru & ENANDES+ extending to Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina, increasing regional coverage, and refer to a series of projects by the World Meteorological Organization to build climate resilience in Andean communities by co-producing and delivering tailored climate information; (5) FIASA-CA “Construction of a simulation model of agro-productive systems using water quantification to the year 2030 in the Cayambe Pedro Moncayo Irrigation Canal”; (6) “Meteorological anomaly identification system for Ecuador using sub-seasonal climate forecast”; (7) “Effects of climate change on water resources in the Lake Titicaca basin, Puno-Peru”; (8) “Impact of climate change on droughts in the basins of the Lake Titicaca hydrographic slope, Peruvian sector”; and others. The presentations were followed by networking and concluding remarks.

Text by: Hanna K. Lappalainen, Svyatoslav Tyuryakov, Alexander Mahura (Univ of Helsinki)