Researchers from the University of Valencia elaborate a decalogue to stop depopulation focused on gender and age

The research has elaborated a diagnosis on the main problems, challenges and potentialities of these two regions in the interior of the Valencian Community. In general terms, taking the region as a reference axis, establishing a strategic plan of action and improving infrastructures to attract women and younger people are some of the proposals of the researchers.

Researcher Juan Rodríguez del Pino highlights: “despite being in a region that is a pole of economic attraction (Valencian Community), we observe that they are masculinised and aged territories that must be converted into attractive spaces and be attractive to young couples. In this sense, elements such as gender and age are factors to take into account in the measures to be adopted for the future of these areas”.

The professors conclude in their article published in Ciudad y Territorio. Estudios Territoriales the importance of providing a regional vision to the overall strategies, which respect their singularities and whose initiatives are born in the territory and have external support. In addition, the improvement of the infrastructures – from Internet connection, to the roads or the electricity supply – could alleviate many of the gaps that these territories and their population suffer.

In this sense, the improvement of the innovative spirit would allow those who know the territory best to start businesses and their activities to improve the economic situation of the regions without waiting for public entities to do so. In addition, public-private partnerships would allow initiatives not to always depend on the public sector and, if they are born from the public sector, they can count on private capital.

For all these changes to be sustained and financed over time and to be future projects, it is necessary to draw up a strategic plan of action in the medium and long term. For this, it is necessary that these territories, in addition to having the corresponding financing, can become attractive places for women and the youngest, since the future of these territories resides in them.

Methodology

The methodological design has consisted of the analysis of statistical sources of public bodies and entities – such as the INE, the IVE or LABORA –, and the conducting of in-depth interviews with the socio-labour actors involved in the territory (from the politics, business, union and technical worlds). Once the previous stages had been carried out, two working groups were created in the territories to analyse and reflect on their realities, of which some of the socio-labour actors who had done so in the previous interviews were part, and in which they also participated, local entities and citizens.

Article:

Rodríguez-Del-Pino, J. A., Sigalat-Signes, E. & Calvo-Palomares, R. (2021). Debilidades y amenazas en torno al despoblamiento de dos comarcas rurales valencianas: un reto del desarrollo local. Ciudad y Territorio. Estudios Territoriales, 53(208), 391-404. https://doi.org/10.37230/CyTET.2021.208.06