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The Northwestern Iberian Peninsula and the Demographic Challenge: diagnosis and proposals for rural areas

On April 16, the “Report on Ruralities of the Northwestern Iberian Peninsula: Structural Diagnosis and Strategic Framework for Action” was published.

This report provides a territorial and socio‑ecological diagnosis of the rural areas of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula (Galicia, Asturias, and northwestern Castile and León). Its objective is to identify the structural factors behind demographic decline and to define strategic directions for intervention aligned with the II Strategy for Territorial Equity and the Demographic Challenge, prioritizing the generation of initiatives and lines of action to guide the design of long-term public policies.

The Land Lab was responsible for developing the analysis and proposals related to the abandonment of agricultural land and the lack of knowledge regarding the ownership of rural land and buildings. It also collaborated on measures related to the energy transition.

Among the proposed lines of action to address these issues are increasing resources and actions for the implementation of instruments to mobilize and recover agricultural land, such as those introduced by the Galician Law on the Recovery of Agricultural Land (agroforestry polygons or joint management groups); the intensive application of procedures for investigating land and housing ownership; the need to establish tax incentives; and the promotion of diversified agroforestry systems.

This report was commissioned by the General Secretariat for the Demographic Challenge to several researchers from universities in the northwestern region as part of the development of the new demographic policy. The University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) participated through professors Inés Santé, member of the Land Lab, and Emilio Díaz.

The report was presented within the framework of the III National Meeting of REDCIT.