Cartagena Launches Sensitive Diagnosis on Drought Impacts in Southwestern Europe
In March 2025, the Cartagena City Council (Ayuntamiento de Cartagena), in collaboration with DialTer (a rural mediation association) and CETENMA (Technological Centre for Energy and the Environment), initiated a Territorial Dialogue process to gauge local inhabitants’ perceptions of the drought’s effects in the region.
This initiative aims to develop adaptation strategies grounded in residents’ needs and experiences. To this end, over 15 key local stakeholders were interviewed in person, including farmers, livestock breeders, environmental associations, agribusinesses, rural tourism representatives and forest managers. CETENMA played a central role in conducting these interviews and providing logistical support to organise the next stage of the Territorial Dialogue.
This participatory process will consist of three collective meetings, during which local concerns and requirements will be discussed, potential solutions explored, and concrete proposals drawn up to address the climate change impacts in the area.
The meeting dates are already set: the first will take place on 25 April, the second on 26 June, and the final session will be held after the summer.
In parallel, the local RTL partners will host a social innovation event called the Knowledge Market, where participants can share experiences, initiatives, learnings and best practices related to the region’s drought. Empirical and scientific knowledge on water management and climate change adaptation will also be disseminated.
The conclusions of this process will be incorporated into the Plan de Acción por el Clima y la Energía Sostenible (PACES) of the Cartagena City Council and shared with local actors for follow-up and implementation.
This project strengthens Cartagena’s commitment to a just, participatory and locally appropriate climate transition in rural areas.