Javier Garcia Onetti

Javier Garcia Onetti serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Geography and Philosophy at the University of Cádiz, Spain. He is actively affiliated with the Institute for Sustainable Social Development (INDESS) and leads the research group HUM117 focused on Coastal Planning and Management. His academic work bridges geographical sciences, environmental management, and socio-cultural studies within coastal and marine contexts.

Education:

• PhD in Regional Geographical Analysis from the University of Cádiz (2017) with thesis 'Ecosystem services and governance of port systems', supervised by Dr. Juan Manuel Barragán Muñoz and Dr. Marinez Eymael Garcia Scherer

Dr. Garcia Onetti's research centers on coastal and marine spatial planning, ecosystem services valuation, and cultural heritage-tourism integration. He develops interdisciplinary frameworks for socio-ecological assessment of marine protected areas and coastal zones, emphasizing participatory governance and sustainable resource management. His work frequently addresses the Mediterranean and Caribbean regions, with particular focus on port systems, coastal erosion, and community-based tourism development. Methodologically, he integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with ecosystem service approaches to create adaptive management tools for coastal sustainability.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals strong thematic convergence around applying ecosystem service concepts to cultural heritage assessment and marine spatial planning. His work demonstrates increasing emphasis on transboundary cooperation in Macaronesia and the Caribbean, methodological innovations for socio-ecological valuation, and practical frameworks for balancing tourism development with coastal conservation. Key trends include the integration of social well-being metrics into heritage management and the development of cross-border governance models for marine protected areas.

Dr. Garcia Onetti actively participates in major research networks including the Interuniversity Alliance for the Sustainability of the Western Caribbean Coast (Caribe: Alianza Interuniversitaria) and the Iberoamerican Alliance for Coastal-Marine Integrated Management (IBERMAR-AUIP). Through his leadership in research group HUM117 and collaboration with INDESS, he directs fieldwork and policy initiatives focused on sustainable coastal development, particularly in Andalusia and the Caribbean region. His current projects emphasize practical applications of ecosystem-based management for port governance and cultural heritage conservation.