Rafael Fernández Rubio
Protection of the Environment 2006Doctor of Mining Engineering. Professor Emeritus, Polytechnic University of Madrid
Jury rulingThe jury for the Rey Jaime I Prize for Environmental Protection, meeting in Alicante, has unanimously decided to award the 2006 prize to Mr Rafael Fernández Rubio.
This is in recognition of his outstanding career as a project manager for environmental protection initiatives in Spain and more than 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.
His work in the field of restoring areas affected by mining operations has gone beyond scientific research of the highest calibre, developing water treatment techniques using natural and artificial wetlands.
His work in proposing measures to manage the crisis caused by the breach of the Aznalcóllar dam (Seville) has been a model example of the use of science as an essential tool for resolving environmental problems, highlighting the practical importance of scientific principles and the need for their wider application in today’s society.
