International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.2, 2022

Environmental history in Spain from 18th to 21st century

(Abstract)

Antonio Ortega

In the article, I first discuss how the academic community in Spain deal with environmental history as a discipline, and how it has been proceeding with the advance of the environmental history in the world. Second, I examine the important changes in the relations between society and  environment in Spain since the beginning of the 18th century. Three problems are my key concerns: evolution of the forests in the ecological system typical in the pre-industrial Medterranean region; the agricultural expansion and the historical transition to industrialised agriculture in the second half of 20th century; the shift in the relations between human community and nature, as well as the transformation of agricultural systems. Finally, I elaborate the challenges facing Spanish society in the climate change, and its relations with EU’s agricultural and environmental policies.