As the first in our series exploring IRISCC facilities throughout Europe, this article highlights key research platforms in France equipped to address the escalating impacts of climate change, including severe heatwaves, persistent droughts, and forest fires.
Recent research shows that climate change has made hot, dry, and windy conditions in Spain 20 times more probable (WWA, 2026). These compounded weather extremes have already led to dangerous consequences on the ground, including severe wildfires in Madrid and Avila that have jointly consumed at least 77,000 hectares (Le Monde, 2026). With soaring temperatures and depleted water reserves becoming the norm, developing proactive solutions to mitigate these wildfire and drought risks has never been more urgent.
Through the IRISCC project, key research infrastructures across Spain are making their specialised facilities available to advance research into these compounding climate threats. We encourage researchers and decision-makers to explore the service catalogue and utilise these state-of-the-art platforms to address regional climate shifts, ecological vulnerability, and atmospheric dynamics.
Map of IRISCC facilities in Spain related to heatwaves, droughts & forest fires
PIE - Plentziako Itsas Estazioa
PIE operates as a premier R&D center for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology. This facility at the University of the Basque Country focuses on marine ecosystem health. By utilizing bio(techno)logical experimental approaches, researchers here can develop diagnostic tools to quantify how coastal and marine environments are responding to shifting global temperatures and ecological stressors.
ESAt-El Arenosillo
ESAt-El Arenosillo is an atmospheric observatory that provides critical data from the most western sector of Europe. Equipped with a 100-meter meteorological tower, radiosoundings, and customized UAV systems, ESAt-El Arenosillo supports advanced research into aerosol dynamics, trace gases, ecosystem-atmosphere interactions, and the broader chemical processes driving climate change in the troposphere and stratosphere. This facility is situated in a protected rural environment near the Doñana National Park.
AGORA
The Andalusian Global Observatory of the Atmosphere operates across multiple sites in Southern Spain to capture a wide range of atmospheric backgrounds. It has remote sensing and in-situ instrumentation, as well as stations in Granada and the high-altitude Sierra Nevada. AGORA excels in long-term monitoring of aerosol vertical distribution, cloud-aerosol interactions, and solar radiation across diverse mountain-valley environments.
ICTS-Doñana
The Singular Scientific-Technical Infrastructure of the Doñana Biological Reserve provides vital access to one of Europe’s most important protected areas. Dedicated to biological conservation and long-term ecological monitoring, the facility allows researchers to implement automated control of wildlife and ecosystems, supporting critical studies on biodiversity and natural process monitoring in a region highly vulnerable to drought and climate shifts.
Take Action Now
We encourage researchers and decision-makers to access the services and facilities in these countries to tackle ongoing environmental threats. Explore the full range of resources in the service catalogue at iriscc.eu/catalogue-of-services.
Proposals can be submitted via the Fast Track for urgent projects, or through our 4th Call for Access, open from 20 July 2026 to 15 October 2026.
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