Southern Sparsely Populated Areas network had a stand this past weekend at the fair PRESURA, held in Soria, and was able to confirm the good number of initiatives that are being developed in these territories but that require a coordination for greater effectiveness.
It highlights the interest that SSPA aroused in many entities that are carrying out local experiences unknown but with good results and that fit well in the philosophy that defends this network of betting on the model of success that has returned population and wealth to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
The Network of Southern Sparsely Populated Areas (SSPA) has announced its organization and the objectives pursued, during the First National Fair for the Repopulation of empty Spain, PRESURA, which took place this past weekend Soria.
In this fair, SSPA along with a hundred public and private entities of all levels, local action groups, organizations, entrepreneurs and companies have shown all the potential of these depopulated territories with the aim of attracting entrepreneurs to discover that the rural environment is also a world of opportunities to launch ideas and businesses.
A fair that had much activity, both project presentations and round tables, and put on the table the private and public initiatives that are being developed in rural areas to attract tourism, settle population and generate wealth.
In the words of the SSPA coordinator Sara Bianchi, “our participation in this fair has been very positive and we have been able to see that there is no shortage of citizen initiatives to fight against depopulation, in fact many projects are being carried out at the local level, they are having good results and they fit the philosophy we defend.”
“Many of the points proposed by SSPA in its report on the Scottish model are already being developed locally in many regions of Spain, unfortunately are unknown and ignored when measures and policies are designing. But they are not within a structure that is able to support and promote them”, she added.
For this reason, from the Network of Southern Sparsely Populated Areas it is considered fundamental to bet on a new model of territorial development led by an independent agency in the fight against depopulation. A model similar to that implemented in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland that has led them through approaches and practices appropriate to the recovery and demographic, economic and social development. To achieve this, SSPA will continue to work, in collaboration with other agents of civil society and with the public authorities, to reproduce successful actions as the Scottish case, replicating in our country the proposals that succeed in changing the course that seems inevitable of loss of population and wealth of the territories of Cuenca, Soria and Teruel.