The meeting will take place in Breña Alta on 18th and 19th June under the title ‘Territory and Belonging: From Strategy to Action’, and has already attracted over 200 registered participants.
“Retaining population in the territory requires services and economic activity,” stated Octavio Caraballo, Deputy Minister of the President’s Office, during the presentation of the II Congress on Demographic Challenges. This year’s gathering will occur in Breña Alta (La Palma) on 18th and 19th June, aiming to foster dialogue and reflection regarding population challenges and their social, economic, and territorial impacts.
Key Topics
Focused this time on territory and belonging, the event will tackle crucial issues for the archipelago’s future, including the concept of ‘Canarias in 15 Minutes’. According to the deputy minister, this model aims to create a territorial layout where cities, towns, and neighbourhoods have human-scale accessibility. He noted that 58% of the population in the archipelago can reach basic services within a 15-minute walk.
This framework, Caraballo emphasised, will make the islands “more liveable” and provide closer, more accessible community spaces. It is vital to “rethink territory and our relationships, so that we build surroundings designed for living, caring, and inclusivity.” This strategy, he added, will lead towards a more equitable and cohesive archipelago, improving life for residents across all islands.
Focus Areas of the Congress
In this context, the congress will highlight essential aspects for fostering belonging in rural areas, such as access to housing, new economic models, and how we narrate and understand the islands.
Elena Zárate, Deputy Minister for Territorial Planning and Demographic Challenges, characterised this issue as one of the strategic projects of the current government, which has placed it at the forefront of political and social discourse in the Canaries.
Zárate recalled the extensive discussions initiated by the Presidency throughout 2024, which included contributions from the Parliament, culminating in various measures, some of which are already underway. These include efforts to expedite planning in municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants through grants, as well as initiatives to streamline technical permits, which have spurred economic activity and housing development in depopulated areas.
The objective, she stressed, is to “create opportunities where none exist, especially in inland municipalities and non-capital islands.” The deputy minister concluded by highlighting that the II Congress on Demographic Challenges continues to “strengthen the commitment to dialogue and debate, tackling this challenge effectively and defining a more territorially and demographically cohesive Canarias for the coming decades.”
Participants
Eva Padrón, Deputy Director of Territorial Planning and Demographic Challenges at Gesplan, announced that the inaugural lecture will be delivered by Professor Serafín Corral from the Department of Applied Economics and Quantitative Methods at the University of La Laguna (ULL), who will discuss the Green REF.
She also noted that 250 people have registered to attend the congress, with 138 participating in person in La Palma. Additionally, 21 communications have been submitted, with the deadline for submission closing on 12th June. The selected communications for presentation at the congress will be announced on 8th June.
Those wishing to attend as participants have until 15th June to register on the congress website (https://congresoretodemograficogobcan.org).
The programme, Padrón explained, is divided into five blocks, addressing topics such as Territory Narrative, Identity, and Coexistence. This session will reflect on how to build a shared narrative in a diverse and transforming Canarias, incorporating real experiences of coexistence and strengthening belonging.
The second block, focusing on Innovation, Technology, and Territorial Anticipation, will explore tools to better understand demographic dynamics and anticipate future scenarios, alongside innovative initiatives driven locally.
The third block will centre around Territory, Housing, and Population Balance, discussing the necessary conditions for living and remaining in municipalities, showcasing experiences that help retain population and revitalise territory.
The fourth block, Talent, Employment, and New Economies, will examine opportunities that foster belonging through employment, entrepreneurship, population return, talent attraction, rural employment, circular economy, and taxation.
The final block will focus on the Territorial Model for the 15-Minute Canarias, analysing how to ensure close access to services and improve quality of life through more balanced, cohesive, and sustainable planning, advancing towards a model of territorial justice.
Demographic Challenge Strategy
Following the first congress held in Gáldar in October 2025, this new meeting in Breña Alta addresses the need to keep working and sharing the progress made with the drafting of the Canarian Strategy for Demographic Challenges and Territorial Cohesion.
This document was approved in November 2025 by the Government of the Canaries, along with its corresponding Executive Action Plan (PAE). It is a tool that will guide public planning in the coming years regarding territorial balance and social sustainability.
The document incorporated 66 contributions from institutions, social agents, and citizens, and represents the first comprehensive effort in the islands to tackle demographic challenges in all its dimensions—from population loss in rural and midland areas to pressure on the most densely populated urban regions.
Population imbalances pose a threat to the sustainability of the archipelago, necessitating tailored planning to ensure quality public services and adequate infrastructure for each island’s reality.
