The IX Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis on Climate Change in the Spanish Mediterranean Arc (Millán Millán Award) has distinguished the research of Víctor Martínez García, focused on agricultural sustainability in the face of water resource scarcity. The Honorable Mention goes to David Salesa Duro, for a study on the impact of droughts on the recovery of Mediterranean vegetation after forest fires.
The Chair, sponsored by the Third Vice Presidency and Conselleria of Environment, Infrastructure, Territory, and Recovery of the Generalitat Valenciana and affiliated with the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering of the UPV (IIAMA-UPV), aims to reward research that provides scientific knowledge to address key environmental challenges in the Mediterranean.
Víctor Martínez García's thesis, titled "Design and evaluation of policies for adaptation and mitigation of climate change in intensive irrigated agroecosystems in the semi-arid Mediterranean", develops a methodology for designing and evaluating agricultural policies that balance environmental sustainability and economic viability, using the Campo de Cartagena as a case study. Its contribution integrates Life Cycle Assessment with ecosystem services analysis.
The results of this research, directed by Francisco José Alcón Provencio and José Miguel Martínez Paz, have been incorporated into a projection model for agricultural activity until 2039, considering reduced water availability and increased use of desalinated water. The thesis highlights the need for agricultural policies tailored to each crop.
For his part, the Honorable Mention was awarded to David Salesa Duro for the thesis "Effects of the complex interactions between altered fire and drought regimes on Mediterranean ecosystems responses in populations, communities and functional diversity". The study analyzes how the combination of forest fires and subsequent droughts affects the recovery capacity of Mediterranean vegetation.
Directed by Víctor Manuel Santana Pastor, Salesa Duro's research provides relevant information for improving forest restoration and management strategies in the face of climate change, contributing to the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
In this ninth edition, the jury evaluated 19 doctoral theses related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, covering areas such as water management, agriculture, climatology, agricultural economics, energy, and emissions. The UPV Climate Change Chair, established in 2016, promotes training and dissemination activities on this topic.
