Dr. Sergio Contreras is specialized in the ecohydrological functioning of native and agroecosytems of arid and semiarid regions, and its relation with human activities. During his career, Dr. Contreras has shown a special interest in the interactions and feedbacks between vegetation and groundwater, in the energy and water balance and in the biomass and agricultural productivity of these regions. His studies cover a broad range of spatial scales, from plot to regional, and methodological approaches (GIS and remote sensing, hydrological modeling, hydrochemical and isotopic techniques).

He was pre and postdoctoral researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) where he developed much of his scientific career, and did research stays in Australia, Argentina and USA. He has participated in several international and national research projects and contracts, and at present he is member of the International Association of Hydrogeologists and the American Geoscience Union. Sergio works in the FutureWater office in Cartagena, Spain.

Related projects

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  Somalia Somaliland

  Drought Forecasting Model for Somalia/Somaliland

  This project aims to strengthen drought preparedness and response in Somalia and Somaliland by enhancing the technical and operational capacities of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SODMA) and Somaliland’s National Disaster Preparedness and Food Reserve Authority (NADFOR). Led by the World Food Programme (WFP), FutureWater and Galayr will work on...

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  Spain

  Climate Trends and Projections for Olive Production, Andalucia, Spain

  The primary goal of this research is to examine the climatic changes projected for two key regions in Andalucia, Spain, which are deemed crucial for olive production. The study analyzes trends and future projections concerning rainfall, temperature, river flows, and evapotranspiration rates, discussing their potential impacts on both the micro...

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  Europe Spain

  Megadroughts in Europe’s Watertowers – From Process Understanding to Strategies for Management and Adaptation

  Megadroughts are rare and poorly understood hazards. They are defined as exceptionally severe, multi-year, prolonged (>5 years) periods of drought that impact severely large areas and different sectors of the economy and the environment (Cook et al., 2022). They are generally caused by the concurrence of extreme events of dryness...

• 
  Spain

  Catchment Assessment for Water Stewardship Plan

  Highly productive berry farms and water scarcity are causing conflicts with the environmental assets and values of the Doñana National Park, Spain. There is growing interest in the agricultural sector to reverse this situation by implementing a water stewardship program. A catchment assessment is needed to produce baseline information to...

• 
  Mozambique

  WEAP Ground Water Modelling in Mozambique

  Groundwater availability is critical to the Umbeluzi Catchment. Currently, there is a need for a simple tool that can asses the availability of resources in the ground. This especially to asses the permits for groundwater extractions. It is expected that a simplified modelling approach can provide a trend analysis sufficient...

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Related publications

• 2025 - Remote SensingLagasio, M., S. Barindelli, Z. Chitu, S. Contreras, A. Fernández-Rodríguez, M. de Klerk, A. Fumagalli, A. Gatti, L. Hammerschmidt, D. Haskovic, M. Milelli, E. Oberto, I. Ontel, J. Orensanz, F. Ramelli, F. Uboldi, A.Validi,E. Realini. 2025. Integrating Advanced Sensor Technologies for Enhanced Agricultural Weather Forecasts and Irrigation Advisories: The MAGDA Project Approach. Remote Sensing, 17(11), 1855. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17111855X

  Integrating Advanced Sensor Technologies for Enhanced Agricultural Weather Forecasts and Irrigation Advisories: The MAGDA Project Approach

  Lagasio, M., S. Barindelli, Z. Chitu, S. Contreras, A. Fernández-Rodríguez, M. de Klerk, A. Fumagalli, A. Gatti, L. Hammerschmidt, D. Haskovic, M. Milelli, E. Oberto, I. Ontel, J. Orensanz, F. Ramelli, F. Uboldi, A.Validi,E. Realini

• 2024 - Technical reportFernández-Rodríguez, A., S. Contreras, G. Simons. Satellite-based Water Productivity of dominant croplands in the Jucar River Basin (Spain) by local implementation of WaPOR algorithm. 2024.Technical report. X

  Satellite-based Water Productivity of dominant croplands in the Jucar River Basin (Spain) by local implementation of WaPOR algorithm

  Fernández-Rodríguez, A., S. Contreras, G. Simons

• 2024 - FutureWater ReportContreras, S., M. Bea, J.E. Hunink. 2024. Hydrological Assessment, Risk Analysis and Farming Opportunities in the Doñana Ecosystem and the Coast of Huelva (Spain): AWS Catchment Status Report. FutureWater Report 253.X

  Hydrological Assessment, Risk Analysis and Farming Opportunities in the Doñana Ecosystem and the Coast of Huelva (Spain): AWS Catchment Status Report

  Contreras, S., M. Bea, J.E. Hunink

• 2024 - Agricultural Water ManagementEekhout, J.P.C., I. Delsman, J.E.M. Baartman, M. van Eupen, C. van Haren, S. Contreras, J. Martínez-López, J. de Vente. 2024. How Future Changes in Irrigation Water Supply and Demand Affect Water Security in a Mediterranean Catchment. Agricultural Water Management, 297, 108818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108818X

  How Future Changes in Irrigation Water Supply and Demand Affect Water Security in a Mediterranean Catchment

  Eekhout, J.P.C., I. Delsman, J.E.M. Baartman, M. van Eupen, C. van Haren, S. Contreras, J. Martínez-López, J. de Vente

• 2024 - ESA-Incubed Project Final Report (FREP)Contreras, S., G.W.H. Simons, A. Fernández-Rodríguez. 2024. Infosequia-4CAST: Towards an Operational Satellite-based Drought Early Warning and Forecasting System for Quantifying Risks of Crop and Water Supply Failures. ESA-Incubed Project Final Report (FREP)X

  Infosequia-4CAST: Towards an Operational Satellite-based Drought Early Warning and Forecasting System for Quantifying Risks of Crop and Water Supply Failures

  Contreras, S., G.W.H. Simons, A. Fernández-Rodríguez

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