The Universitat de València held on 30 and 31 January in the Centre Cultural La Nau the first scientific conference on the connection between climate change and the use and management of the Iberian Mediterranean territory. More than 70 specialists from the main universities and research centres of Catalonia, Valencian Community, Balearic Islands, Murcia and Andalusia reunited in the UV to present evidences of the causes and effects of global warming. The aim was to analyse strategies and make concrete proposals to the Spanish Parliament and Regional Parliaments. The aim: that this gathering is the first of a series of meetings to be held every two years in different universities of the Spanish Mediterranean.
Coordinated by emeritus full-time University Professor of Human Geography at the UV, Joan Romero and full-time University Professor of Physical Geography at the UV, Ana Camarasa, at the request of The Principal, Maria Vicenta Mestre. This first conference wass structured around different academic sessions, that citizenship could be followed live.
LThe First Conference of Experts on climate change and Iberian Mediterranean Territory was opened by The principal on Thursday 30 at 9:30 pm at the Aula Magna. After this, throughout the day, there were round tables of specialists who analysed the effects and advisable strategies on major issues such as global warming, water as a resource as well as a risk (droughts and floods), desertification phenomenon, forest fires, the costal dynamics, extreme weather events, spatial planning, hydraulics solutions, the most affected productive sectors, risk managements, governance, education in cities... The Friday sessions were held in the morning.
Each part had a speaker who managed to coordinate different specialists who contributed both to the synthesis of the conference presentation as well as to the formulation of recommendations. Each theme area presented a short, medium and long-term plan of action for a total of 5 to 7 concrete measures. The conference directors along with the speakers of each thematic area, worked out a conclusions and recommendations proposal that was exhibited and discussed by the gathering’s plenary session. The Principal sent these measures to the Catalonia, Valencian Community, Balearic Islands, Murcia and Andalusia Parliaments as well as to the Spanish Parliament (Congress and Senate).
The organisers of this gathering believe that the EU and Southern rim countries face similar challenges. For this reason, they proposed , that university and research centres of the Mediterranean basin take part in the next editions of the Conference of experts, so that they incorporate their work.
The workshop is organised by the UV, through the Escola Europea de Pensament Lluís Vives, and has the collaboration of the Fundació General of the Universitat de València, Caixa Popular and the financial support of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades and Conselleria de Educacion, Cultura, Universidades y Empleo.
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