Water, Environmental and Agricultural Resources Economics (WEARE)

Assistant Professor

Biography

Born in Cordoba (Spain), I got my degree of Agricultural Engineer with a specialization in Agricultural Economics at the University of Cordoba (Spain). Since 2008, I have been working at University in a research project focusing on ArcGIS and AutoCAD software.

In March 2018, I finished my doctoral thesis. I have been awarded the Cum Laude mention and have carried out the defense for obtaining the international doctor mention. The research project where I have developed my dissertation is called:  “Designing new water markets for Spain: Assessment as measures for the improvement of efficiency in water use and the adaptation to climate change” (MERCAGUA). My dissertation focuses on water banks and mathematical programming so I use specific software called General Algebraic Modelling System (GAMS). The results have been presented in national and international conferences.

Research interests

• Water pricing
• Water banks
• Water markets
• Water resources management
• Mathematical programming

Currently research projects

• GOVAQUA (HE-CL6-GOV-RIA-2022-101086578): Water governance, economic and financial sustainability of water systems). Period: 2023-2027. Project Coordinator: Julio Berbel (University of Córdoba).  HORIZON-CL6-GOVERNANCE. European Commission
• e-MOHICAN (TED2021-131066B-I00): Digital platform for hydro-economic basin modelling for water policy and climate change analysis. Project Coordinator: Carlos Gutiérrez (University of Córdoba)
• BHYEM (PID2019-107127RB-100): Water policy analysis in a context of water scarcity and climate change: a hydro-economic model at a watershed scale integrating micro and macroeconomic effects. Project Coordinator: Julio Berbel (University of Córdoba)

Awards & Achievements

• 2018: The best PhD in Water Economics. Cátedra Aquae de Economía del Agua.
• 2018: The best oral communication. Universidad de Córdoba.
• 2016: Predoctoral mobility fellowship for short stays in Spanish and foreign R&D centres (92 days). Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
• 2015: Predoctoral Research Grant for Staff in Training. Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Research stays

• Water Science Institute. University of Cranfield, United Kingdom (09/2017 – 12/2017). Supervisor: Dolores Rey.
• IIASA: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (03/2023-06/2023). Supervisor: Taher Kahil

Peer-reviewed publications

2024
Tocados-Franco, E., Martínez-Dalmau, J., Espinosa-Tasón, J. and Montilla-Lopez, N.M.(2024). Trends in water-energy nexus and carbon emissions balance in Axarquía region, Spain, in the period 1990-2030, Environmental Processes 11(11) doi:10.1007/s40710-024-00689-4

2022

Gutiérrez-Martín, C., Gómez-Limón, J.A. and Montilla-López, N.M. (2022). Priority water rights for irrigation at the river basin level. Do they improve economic efficiency during drought periods?, Water Resources Management. doi:10.1007/s11269-022-03228-8

2021

Gómez-Limón, J.A., Gutiérrez-Martín, C.. and Montilla-López, N.M. (2021). Priority water rights. Are they useful for improving water-use efficiency at the irrigation district level?, Agricultural Water Management 257:107145 doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107145

Pérez-Blanco, C.D., Gutiérrez-Martín, C., Gil-García, L. and Montilla-López, N.M. (2021). Microeconomic ensemble modeling to inform robust adaptation to water scarcity in irrigated agriculture, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 147:7 doi:10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0001385

2020

Berbel, J., Montilla-López, N.M. and Giannoccaro, G. (2020). Institutions and economics of water scarcity and droughts, Water 12(11):3248 doi:10.3390/w12113248

Gómez-Limón, J.A., Gutiérrez-Martín, C. and Montilla-López, N.M. (2020). Agricultural water allocation under cyclical scarcity: the role of priority water rights, Water 12(6):1835 doi:10.3390/w12061835

Gómez-Limón, J.A., Gutiérrez-Martín, C. and Montilla-López, N.M. (2020). Recovering water for the environment during droughts through public water banks within a monopsony-monopoly setting, Water Resources and Economics 32:100163 doi:10.1016/j.wre.2020.100163

Gutiérrez-Martín, C., Gómez-Limón, J.A., and Montilla-López N.M. (2020). Self-financed water bank for resource reallocation to the environment and within the agricultural sector, Ecological Economics. 169:106493. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106493

2019

Berbel, J., Borrego-Marín, M.M., Expósito, A., Giannoccaro G., Montilla-López, N.M., Roseta-Palma C. (2019). Analysis of irrigation water tariffs and taxes in Europe, Water Policy 21(4):806-825 doi:10.2166/wp.2019.197

2018

Montilla-López, N.M., Gómez-Limón, J.A. and Gutiérrez-Martín, C. (2018). Sharing a river: Potential performance of a water bank for reallocating irrigation water, Agricultural Water Management 200: 47-59. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2017.12.025.

2017

Montilla-López, N.M., Gutiérrez-Martín, C. and Gómez-Limón, J.A. (2017). Impacto de la tarifación del agua de riego en el Bajo Guadalquivir, ITEA. Información Técnica Económica Agraria 113(1): 90-111. doi:10.12706/itea.2017.006.

2016

Montilla-López, N.M., Gutiérrez-Martín, C. and Gómez-Limón, J.A. (2016). Water banks: What have we learnt from the international experience?, Water 8(10):466. doi:10.3390/w8100466.