DISCUSSION FORUM ON MEDITERRANEAN NATURAL HAZARDS

The Mediterranean is one of the regions most vulnerable to natural risks arising from climate change and human activity. Phenomena such as torrential rains, forest fires, droughts, and desertification not only endanger ecosystems but also their productivity, as well as the safety and well-being of the populations living in this area.

In recent decades, the increase in extreme events has highlighted the need to adopt effective prevention and mitigation strategies. Torrential rains, which are increasingly intense and frequent, cause catastrophic floods and flash floods with serious consequences for infrastructure and the population. Forest fires, exacerbated by rising temperatures and prolonged droughts, affect thousands of hectares of forest each year, contributing to soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and a reduction in its buffering capacity against erosive phenomena. Water scarcity, coupled with poor management of water resources, accelerates desertification, jeopardizing agricultural productivity and the sustainability of the territory.

In the face of these challenges, prevention and mitigation must be approached from an integrated perspective that combines scientific research, territorial planning, sustainable management of natural resources, and social awareness. This Debate Forum aims to analyze these natural risks in the Mediterranean context, share experiences and action strategies, and discuss solutions that can reduce their impact on the environment and society, through the development of preventive measures to address these phenomena, promoting resilience and adaptation to a constantly changing environment.

Moderator: Elena Bendala Tufanisco. Secretary of the Expert Committee

Participants:

• Dr. José Luis Rubio. (Scientific Coordinator of the Debate Forum).
• Dr. Emilio Chuvieco Salinero
• Dr. Jorge Olcina Cantos

“Impact of aridity on the territory: droughts and desertification”
Dr. José Luis Rubio.
Honorary President of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation. Rey Jaime I Environmental Protection Award 1996.

“Influence of climate and social change on the occurrence of forest fires: assessment, mitigation, and adaptation to risk”
Dr. Emilio Chuvieco Salinero.
Professor of Geography at the University of Alcalá.
Jaume I Award for Environmental Protection 2022

“Torrential rains in the context of climate change in the Mediterranean: evidence and adaptation”
Dr. Jorge Olcina Cantos.
Professor of Regional Geographical Analysis at the University of Alicante.

Program:
18:30: Access to the room
19:00: Conference at the Santiago Grisolía Auditorium
20:30: End of interventions and start of the discussion
21:00: End of the discussion

Access to the event will be through the west door of the Menor street of the Museu (next to the Hemispheric).

This conference will be recorded on video and broadcast live, and may be disseminated on any audiovisual media and/or spaces of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, as well as on YouTube.