SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 16th October (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Director-General of Territorial Planning and Territorial Cohesion for the Government of the Canary Islands, Onán Cruz, unveiled the ‘Framework Action Plan for the Rural Local Urban Agenda for the 14 municipalities of La Palma’ in Los Llanos de Aridane, addressing local officials and technicians from the island’s municipalities, along with Cabildo President Sergio Rodríguez.
This initiative seeks to tackle the primary challenges faced by La Palma’s municipalities, drawing inspiration from the rejuvenation of rural areas and their integration within urban contexts. It aims to provide sustainable solutions that may also be applicable to other Canarian municipalities encountering similar developmental hurdles, whether structural, social, or economic.
The European Union and the Government of Spain “have financing avenues amounting to 69.528 million euros to ensure rural municipalities are not hindered in their growth and advancement, allowing them to modernise sustainably,” noted Onán Cruz. Thus, he emphasised that “inter-administrative collaboration is crucial to ensure compliance with the necessary requirements for accessing these grants,” he added.
The execution of the plan has been entrusted to Gesplan, a public company linked to the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water, with an estimated budget of around 220,000 euros. A multidisciplinary technical group has been assembled for its development, recognising the multifaceted and structural characteristics of the island and the distinct needs of each municipality in La Palma.
Sergio Rodríguez, the Cabildo President of La Palma, expressed his satisfaction regarding the implementation of the Plan on the island, highlighting its capacity to facilitate infrastructure development and service provision, particularly in rural municipalities.
The Government of the Canary Islands aims to promote the 14 municipalities by aligning them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Spanish Urban Agenda, reinforcing their commitment to public policies initiated since the commencement of the current legislative period.
Execution of the Action Plan is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2025 with a participatory diagnosis and technical proposal formulation. From May to September, input will be gathered, followed by a validation and prioritisation process for final actions. The conclusive document for the 14 municipalities of La Palma will be presented between October and December 2025.
During this preparatory phase, Gesplan will employ various indicators related to territory and biodiversity, including the percentage of protected natural areas, urban and rural land occupancy rates, and CO2 emissions. Moreover, demographic and economic indicators will be assessed, focusing on the degree of cultivated land in use and disuse, as well as resident and tourist density per square kilometre and local unemployment rates. Cultural heritage indicators will encompass the percentage of culturally registered assets across the Canary Islands, an inventory of heritage trails, and the count of Cultural Interest Assets (BIC) present in each La Palma municipality relative to the entire archipelago.
Specific initiatives underpinning this Action Plan will include fostering a green and blue economy; promoting sustainable agricultural, livestock, and fishing practices; encouraging eco-integrated tourism; reinforcing social roots and cultural heritage; designing, planning, and developing a connected mobility strategy; updating territorial and urban planning; and implementing sustainable rural development initiatives.
GOVERNANCE IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGE
The Government of the Canary Islands has prioritised addressing the issues faced by sparsely populated regions. Evidence of this commitment was the convening of the Conference of Presidents, where top regional leader Fernando Clavijo gathered the heads of the seven councils in April at the Parliament of the Canary Islands to discuss the demographic challenges within the archipelago.
Moreover, the Government collaborates closely with the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (FECAM) and the Canary Islands Federation (Fecai) through five Demographic Challenge forums, aiming to formulate initiatives for inclusion in the regional budgets for 2025, specifically targeting municipalities with populations below 10,000.
Additionally, on 27th September, the ‘Pilot Plan for Local Action of the Urban and Rural Agenda’ was introduced in Los Silos by the Vice-Ministry of Territorial Planning and Demographic Challenge. This action plan aspires to address the fundamental issues faced by municipalities confronting demographic challenges, providing sustainable solutions that could also be implemented in the 47 Canarian municipalities with fewer than 10,000 residents.
