Dr. Alicia Fuertes Sánchez
Researcher
PhD:
Engineering for Rural and Civil Development. University of Santiago de Compostela. Spain.
Research:
Nature-based solutions for the treatment of contaminated water
Joining Date:
02/2026
Address:
IMDEA Water. Avenida Punto Com, 2. Parque Científico Tecnológico de la Universidad de Alcalá. Alcalá de Henares. 28805 MADRID
E-mail:
alicia.fuertes@imdea.org
PhD in Engineering for Rural and Civil Development from the University of Santiago de Compostela (2023) and Agricultural Engineer from the Technical University of Madrid (2009).
Between 2011 and 2016, she conducted research in Germany at ZALF and the Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT), focusing on carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions in terrestrial ecosystems. She completed her PhD at ICIFOR-INIA (CSIC), assessing the potential of woody plantations for a low-carbon bioeconomy through climate-sensitive modelling and ecosystem services valuation. Subsequently, she expanded this line of research by analysing the role of plantations as nature-based solutions for the treatment of contaminated water. She also contributed to the Spanish National Forest Inventory (IFN), studying forest dynamics under climate change and participating in the design of the fifth IFN.
In 2026, she joined IMDEA Water as a Juan de la Cierva Research Fellow (Grant JDC2024-053312-I funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the ESF+).
Her PhD thesis received the Award from the Spanish Society of Forest Sciences and the Extraordinary Doctorate Award (USC, 2023). She is involved in postgraduate teaching (UAM) and science outreach activities.
