Álvaro specializes in macro-economic modelling. He has worked extensively with global computable general equilibrium (CGE) models applied to the analysis of water resources, agricultural policies, land use and bioenergy policies, renewable energy, and climate change.

His PhD focused on the modelling of water resources under a global CGE framework. He developed a new version of the GTAP-W model which includes water as a factor of production in agriculture, differentiates between rainfed and irrigated crops and allows for substitution between water and other primary factors.

At the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Álvaro co-developed a global CGE model with a great detail on land use competition and biofuel production (DART-BIO). This model is used to evaluate different agricultural and energy policies. He has also developed special versions of the DART model to analyse the economic impacts of land-grab issues in Africa, extraction of oil and gas from the Arctic, and the Desertec initiative.

As part of the UCL ISR modelling team, Álvaro contributes to the development of a state-of-the-art global CGE model to analyse the water-land-energy nexus. This global CGE model is complemented by a detailed UK CGE model to analyse possible transitions to a low carbon energy system and resource efficiency at the country (UK), regional and global level.