El Diario de Teruel reports on the PES 6/2025 Document on Rural decline and depopulation in Spain: recommendations for designing public policies. It is written by Javier Esparcia (Inter-university Institute for Local Development and Dept. of Geography, Universitat de València) and Néstor Vercher (Dept. of Applied Economics, Universitat de València)

Both the news article and the document call for a coherent and realistic political framework to manage depopulation in rural areas. According to the authors, said framework should be based on the collaboration between institutions, academia, the business sector and our civil society.

El artículo recalca las propuestas de Javier Esparcia y Néstor Vercher de cara a construir una estrategia dual que priorice la mitigación de pérdidas poblacionales. Su viabilidad gira en torno a una adaptación inteligente donde la reversión resulte improbable, orientándose a jóvenes y mujeres como colectivos clave para su asentamiento.

The article highlights the proposals from Javier Esparcia and Néstor Vercher to create a dual strategy that prioritises the mitigation of population loss. Its viability revolves around properly adapting to the current circumstances, so that reversion becomes improbable. Focusing on groups like women and young people is the key to properly carry out this strategy.

All in all, the conclusion reached is that the policies to apply must be territorial, integral and on multiple levels and to avoid urban-centric biases and “miraculous solutions”. These measures are all necessary to turn territorial equity from an abstract principle into a concrete public objective that can be evaluated in each territory.

• Full news article