Department Water Resources and Drinking Water

Intensive agriculture with crop rotation is a common practice in dry regions such as the Mediterranean, where climate change is expected to exacerbate drought frequency and increase the occurrence of high-intensity rainfall events. This interdisciplinary project aims to advance the understanding of how different crop rotation strategies influence water and nitrogen dynamics, while also assessing a range of environmental and economic indicators. Focusing on the highly productive Campo de Cartagena region in southeastern Spain, the project will develop models that integrate multiple climate change scenarios. Adopting a bottom-up approach, it will combine numerical modeling with field observations and knowledge co-produced with local stakeholders, including farmers, policymakers, and water management authorities.