Mireia banqué

CREAF organised the third edition of its internal thematic 'vermouths' with ecosystem services - or the contributions of nature to people - as the main theme of the presentations and debate. During the event, 14 CREAF researchers shared their studies and projects with almost 50 attendees. The topics ranged from pollinators, green infrastructures in urban spaces and the key role of soil, to the services provided by forests and how to monitor them using geospatial tools, among others.

Drought and its consequences is one of the 4 most critical natural hazards in the mountain areas of Southwest Europe, together with floods, fires and soil degradation. This is one of the starting points of the third transnational seminar on strategies for the management and prevention of drought impacts on mountain forests in Southwest Europe, integrated in the SUDOE MONTCLIMA project.

Japan is among the countries that are best prepared for natural disasters, those with the most hospital beds, the highest levels of education, prevention plans, adapted urban designs and so forth. Why, then, is it also one of the countries whose inhabitants are most at risk from such disasters?