The LIFE Wetlands4Climate project, whose scientific leadership is provided by the University of Valencia under the direction of professor Antonio Camacho, has been recognised as the best project in Europe in the Climate Action category for its work on Mediterranean wetlands. This is the most prestigious distinction awarded under the European Union’s LIFE programme.
The University of Valencia’s scientific project, led by Antonio Camacho, focuses on the management and restoration of Mediterranean wetlands as carbon sinks. “The University of Valencia has been responsible for the research required by the project, from its design through to the achievement of results following the on-site experimental phase. These results are of outstanding quality and are applicable to the European methodology for the conservation and restoration of hundreds of wetlands”, explains the University professor.
According to Global Nature Foundation, which coordinates Wetlands4Climate together with the University of Valencia, the research carried out by Antonio Camacho’s team has demonstrated that well-preserved wetlands can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate change mitigation without compromising their ecological integrity. Throughout the project, scientific understanding of these ecosystems has been strengthened, land management techniques that reduce CO₂ emissions have been tested, and methodologies for carbon footprint offsetting have been developed. The project’s findings are already being incorporated into national and international policies that integrate wetlands into climate strategies.
The project has operated in wetlands across three autonomous regions of Spain: in the La Nava and Boada lagoons in Tierra de Campos (Palencia); in the Manchegan lagoons of Castile-La Mancha; and in wetlands along the Valencian coast. In the Valencian Community, this has involved 15 years of interventions in sites such as l’Albufera, Prat de Cabanes–Torreblanca, Marjal dels Moros and Marjal de Pego–Oliva.
These inland and coastal areas, regarded as wasteland for decades, are now proving to be genuine defences against climate change: when properly managed, they preserve biodiversity while capturing carbon.
A Historic Milestone
The LIFE Award, granted by a panel of experts from the European Commission, now places the University of Valencia — already a leader in research — at the centre of a Europe-wide accolade. The award recognises the most impactful project in Europe within its category and marks a historic milestone for the University of Valencia, the Global Nature Foundation and the project’s other partners: EFE News Agency and the València Climate and Energy Foundation.
The LIFE Awards are the most prestigious honours of the LIFE Programme, the European Union’s financial instrument for environmental protection and climate action. The 2026 edition marks the 20th anniversary of the awards, which each year recognise the most innovative and effective projects from across Europe. Wetlands4Climate competed in the Climate Action category against finalists from several other countries.
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