Governance and public policies against rural depopulation through the case of La Rioja (Spain)

Rural depopulation has become one of the central issues on the public agenda in the last decade in Spain. However, despite this visibility and the measures that are being developed, the process is still present. Within the policies against depopulation and rural development, the role of participation and empowerment of the affected populations has become particularly important. The objective is based on the fact that, through a more horizontal governance, they are the protagonists of the actions and measures that affect them, and that this governance becomes a means to avoid the depopulation of rural areas. The European Union's LEADER approach and the Local Action Groups have become the paradigm of this rural governance that favours their development and tackles depopulation. This article analyses the situation of rural governance in the case of a Spanish region such as La Rioja, which is affected by the depopulation of a large part of its rural areas. It starts with a theoretical framework that addresses the concept itself and how it is being articulated with issues such as social capital, territorial capital and participation, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the scenarios that are being generated, based on the differences between territories. Next, the frameworks of depopulation in Spain are presented, which are marking the very public policies on the issue. Finally, the situation in La Rioja is addressed, focusing on the role of the regional government's plans and strategies to tackle depopulation and the role of the Local Action Groups.

Implementing SDGs to a Sustainable Rural Village Development from Community Empowerment: Linking Energy, Education, Innovation, and Research

Rural depopulation is a worldwide fact and has a domino effect on medium and small cities, which act as a nucleus of reference for small towns. Moreover, the United Nations (UN) stressed that disparities between rural and urban areas are pronounced and still growing over time. Globally, people in rural areas lack access to modern energy services, which affects productivity, educational and health services, exacerbating poverty, among other things. Given this reality, the following research questions arise: how can we act to reverse this reality? Are there examples of transformation in rural contexts where community empowerment is a key strategy? This paper aims at describing the transformation process of a small rural municipality towards a sustainable development, in parallel to the activation of the local productivity that helps to eliminate the effects of rural depopulation. Therefore, the project ALMIA was established as an example of a sustainable village that is Almatret (Catalonia-Spain). The backbone of such project is the commitment to community empowerment, where the main results are the generation of networks with experts and researchers to help the municipality’s energy transition, the involvement of the local administration, the commitment to technological development, as well as the socio-community development. Moreover, the activities developed within the project ALMIA are aligned with the UNs Sustainable Development Goals, alignment that is analyzed in detail. Thus, this paper aims to further highlight existing sustainable development practices related to community empowerment in order to promote similar practices.

The representation of the rural exodus in Spanish cinema (1900-2020): evolution, causes and territorial consequences

Rural depopulation has been a constant feature of contemporary Spanish history and has been amply studied from the perspective of geography. Recently, however, there has been considerable media attention given to the consequences of internal migration. Behind the alarming demographic statistics lies a nexus of processes which have been reflected in the cinema since its beginning. This paper explores these processes at work in the rural sending environment and receiving urban destination through an analysis of six representative Spanish films. The fictional representation through film of a complex reality provides insights into the internal and contextual keys to understanding the phenomenon of ‘empty Spain’ or ‘hollowed-out Spain’. The films illustrate the persistence of two conflicting ideas (the rural and urban), divergence about what constitutes development and the quality of life, and the processes leading to ‘demotanasia’.

A Tale of Two Dams: The Impact of Reservoir Management on Rural Depopulation in Central Spain

In rural areas, depopulation is mainly due to a lack of economic and employment opportunities. In this context, the reservoirs already built can be a source of socioeconomic development based on tourism and outdoor leisure activities. The condition for this development to materialize is that reservoir management considers these activities. In Central Spain, a process of rural depopulation has been generated in the municipalities around the reservoirs at the Upper Tagus River, as water management allows water transfers from the Tagus to the Segura River without taking into account regulations that prioritize and protect donor basin users. Through the comparison of reservoir water management and demographic data of two rural areas close to the reservoirs, this article reveals the direct relationship between reservoir management that enables recreational uses with its consequent socioeconomic development and the maintenance of the population in the territory. Consequently, reservoir water management based on the socioeconomic development of reservoir banks is necessary and a priority over transfers to another basin.

Demographic Resilience in the Rural Area of Romania. A Statistical-Territorial Approach of the Last Hundred Years

The deep demographic crisis that Romania has been going through, like most Eastern European states, requires complex analyses. The present study aims at analyzing the numerical evolution of the rural population of Romania, extended for more than 100 years (1912–2020), on the basis of which a multivariate analysis was subsequently performed. The manifestation of specific patterns of territorial evolution and the identification of the incidence of some physical–geographical and socio-economic factors are investigated by means of the dynamics of certain distinct processes, such as rural depopulation or ability to adapt to various transitions. The identification of the fragile and dynamic areas allows discussions on the need for public policies better oriented towards mending excesses, illustrated by the persistence of some gaps, in terms of access to basic services. At the same time, the identification of trends towards a shrinking population system, with an increasingly evident concentration of the population in peri-urban areas or along major transport routes, calls for specific policies geared more towards environmental management in depopulated and depopulating areas, or towards creating the conditions for sustainable spatial planning in high-density areas. For the time being, the disadvantaged areas are rather ignored, while the extension of metropolitan areas is rather chaotic and poorly regulated.

Challenges of Depopulation in Latvia’s Rural Areas

The administrative territorial reform of 2021 in Latvia has changed the shape and structure of local municipalities. Previous studies have shown that disparities and challenges in terms of demographic development will be even more evident between the newly formed municipalities than they were prior to the reform, creating greater demographic risks for the rural areas. By using the available statistical information and geographically weighted regression models, this study aims to evaluate the demographic challenges in Latvia’s rural areas and to determine main socio economic factors linked to the rural depopulation processes. Key indicators linked to the depopulation process are evaluated and discussed by the authors in the context of gender balance, development centre accessibility and other socio economic factors. Authors conclude that supporting and developing local industries, public services and infrastructure facilitating diverse employment options and equal opportunities for working age females is a paramount condition for slowing or reversing rural depopulation in in the long term. Regional development centres in general and particularly those located in remote areas show little or no immediate effect on the population dynamics. However, these centres offer more diverse employment opportunities and essential social services, making them more attractive to working age females and households with children. Digitalization and focus on location-independent employment and services is another important route to explore in the new rural development setting.

What Do Public Policies Teach us About Rural Depopulation: The Case Study of Spain

This study evaluates the policies developed in Spain to address depopulation and explains the reasons for their low effectiveness. We consider that the low impact of these policies is due to an incorrect diagnosis and design in terms of their content and governance. Therefore, we propose that depopulation policies should have the objective of enabling citizens to reside where they wish and obtain the best possible quality of life. These policies should be implemented within a new governance framework in which the foundations on which they are based and the way in which they are implemented are renewed. With the support of the European Union, such action could be carried out more efficiently and could constitute a reference of successful territorial cohesion contributing to erasing the populist opinion in places that believe that they do not matter.

The Lack of Attention Given by Neoendogenous Rural Development Practice to Areas Highly Affected by Depopulation. The Case of Andalusia (Spain) in 2015–2020 Period

How are the problems of depopulation being faced by the Local Action Groups (LAGs) and the LEADER approach? What kinds of proposals are being pointed out to tackle young people’s exodus, the economic depression, the physical and virtual distances, and the marginality from the political and economic centers by these local public-private partnerships to the areas having the more worrying situations? Andalusia, a southern region of Spain, has many municipalities with these severe devepopulation problems. According to this aim, the Local Development Strategies documents (LDSs) of the LAGs for 2015–2020, have been reviewed. The predominance of the top-down approach has limited the attention given to face the rural depopulation. It is relevant to note, as well, the reduced presence of specific objectives and projects to combat depopulation in these deep rural areas. The last finding is that these municipalities with extreme depopulation have been left aside; as no solution placed. Definitely, as empty areas to promote rural development. Depopulation concept and depopulation areas have been forgotten for neoendogenous rural development practices.