As part of the DesirMED project and with the support of the GVA (Valencian Government), the first regional workshop of the Valencian Region area was held on March 24, 2025, in Xàbia (Alacant, Spain). The aim of the event was to analyze key territorial challenges and propose solutions to strengthen climate resilience in this Mediterranean region, with a particular focus on forest fire prevention. Over four dynamic sessions, experts and participants discussed current challenges and developed a common vision for 2050.
The event brought together the project partners (GVA, VAERSA, MediXXI, TECNALIA, and C-KIC), members of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, officials from the Xàbia City Council and the Alicante Provincial Council, as well as representatives from Civil Protection, the Valencian Environmental Education Center (CEACV), WWF, Hidraqua, AMJASA (Xàbia’s municipal water company), the Red Cross, Fundació Pau Costa, Agresta S. Coop, the Mediterranean Environmental Studies Center (CEAM), and Montgó Natural Park.
As part of one of the contributions, Samira Khodayar, a member of CEAM, presented an analysis of the main impacts of climate change in the Mediterranean region over the last 30 years, highlighting key environmental threats such as floods, droughts, and forest fires.
In addition, two ongoing pilot projects in the Valencian Region were introduced, focusing on the protection of the urban-forest interface and the implementation of a sensor network for climate monitoring, live fuel moisture assessment, and forest fire management and prevention.
Based on insights from all of the expert presentations and the collaborative group work, participants identified key vulnerabilities, including mass tourism, lack of environmental awareness, decline in primary economic activities (agriculture and fisheries), land abandonment, and deficiencies in environmental management, communication infrastructure, and allocated economic resources. Furthermore, the need to establish a fire management culture and to reintroduce forestry activities for sustainable forest management was emphasized. Special attention was given to forest fires as one of the most critical risks, not only for Xàbia but for the entire Valencian Region.
During the final session, each group formulated representative statements, that were consolidated to create a collective vision of climate resilience. The participants defined their 2050 vision for the comprehensive adaptation of the Valencian Region’s territorial system to climate change, based on three key pillars: adequate budget allocation, increased environmental education and awareness, and the implementation of science-based forest management policies incorporating new technologies.
The workshop concluded by emphasizing the importance of interinstitutional cooperation and active citizen participation in ensuring a resilient and sustainable future. The results obtained are expected to contribute to the implementation of effective and sustainable measures for enhancing territorial climate resilience in the Valencian Region.
