The Region of Valencia covers an area of 23.255 km² and features a distinctly Mediterranean landscape, with vast coastal plains interspersed with striking mountainous regions, along with 632 km of coastline. Its current population is approximately 5.1 million people.

Main economic activities: tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and services.

Current climate impacts and vulnerabilities
The main climate impact affecting the Region is the occurrence of high temperatures increasing the risk for forest fires.

In the Valencian Region, the existing continuity in the current forest masses considerably increases the danger of forest fires, increasing the magnitude of the fire. When the right circumstances arise, the so-called Wildfires happen, those that burn more than 500 ha. All this takes place in a current and projected future context of global temperature rise. The occurrence of wildfires is expected to increase as the effects of climate change predict an increase in dry and warm conditions in the Mediterranean environment.

Transformation scenarios through DesirMED
Activities in the frame of DesirMED will focus on the fire prevention in Valencian forests, an action that will provide a range of benefits to society and are key to addressing the main challenges of climate and social emergency, focusing on biodiversity and land use.

With the motto: “Listening to nature for fire prevention and adaptation to climate change”, this case study will focus on developing research and knowledge, technological innovation, resources and capacity development, with the aim of detecting the most vulnerable areas where the application of prevention measures will be a priority. The ultimate goal is preventing forest fires, fires to develop to the point of being "beyond suppression capacity", particularly in the Wood Urban Interface (WUI). A key point on this path will be the improvement of the meteorological network of the GVA and VAERSA based on the operation of the platform SIDEINFO.

A second course of action will focus on the protection of IUF areas, implementing the concepts of green firewalls and circular water economy.