Abstract:
Drylands, which encompass hyper-arid, arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid climates, make up more than 41% of the Earth's surface and are home to nearly 40% of the global population.

The unsustainable use of resources, combined with climate change and a rapidly growing population, is causing widespread land degradation and desertification in these areas and hindering progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this seminar, Prof. Fernando will discuss key environmental challenges affecting drylands worldwide and propose solutions to reverse unsustainable resource use, land degradation, and climate change as well as preserving their unique biodiversity.

Bio:
Fernando T. Maestre (Sax, 1976), received his BsC. and PhD. in Biology from the University of Alicante, Spain, in 1998 and 2002, respectively, with the maximum qualification in both cases. He hass been among the 1% of most cited authors worldwide (“Highly Cited Researcher”) since 2018. He received the Academic Performance Award by Generalitat Valenciana in 1999. After his Ph.D., he spent two years at Duke University (USA) as a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow. In 2005, he returned to Rey Juan Carlos University, where he is now a Full Professor (on leave). In May 2019, he joined the University of Alicante as a Distinguished Scientist, where he leads the Dryland Ecology and Global Change Lab and is a Professor of Ecology (currently on a leave of absence). In February 2024, he moved to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), in Saudi Arabia, where he is now a Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering.