Ferrovial Agroman maintains a collaboration agreement with Aemet, Parques Nacionales (National Parks), the Spanish Climate Change Office and the Fundación Biodiversidad (Biodiversity Foundation) for the development of a system for evaluating and monitoring the impact of Global Change on the Network of Spanish National Parks. Ferrovial’s Quality and Environment Department provides technical support for this agreement.
This Network, owing to its natural characteristics and guarantee of conservation, represents an ideal scenario for monitoring Global Change and conducting research in long-term studies, contributing highly relevant information for understanding the real impact that climate change and its trends are having.
Two computer graphics have recently been published featuring the conclusions of the information obtained from data taken in situ at the four national parks included in the initiative: Cabrera Archipelago, Picos de Europa, Sierra Nevada and Teide. Specifically, analysis has been conducted on how some aspects of these natural environments have varied as a consequence of climate change, such as temperature, invasive species or wildlife, and how this in turn affects the economic sectors.
The collaboration agreement started in 2008 and will run until 2017. It is funded by Ferrovial Agroman in the maintenance of instrument stations or the implementation of new ones, dissemination actions for the Project and aid provided for research projects.
In an initial phase the programme included the installation of a network of 19 meteorological stations and a meteo-oceanographic buoy. The maintenance of this network is undertaken through the mentioned collaboration agreement, together with the funding of research projects conducted by various bodies, which exploit the valuable data generated. The network of meteorological stations is expected to be expanded in the future when new parks are incorporated into the project.
