The president of the Alicante Provincial Council, Carlos Mazón, chaired the conference “Towards a balanced distribution of the population in the territory” with the collaboration of the Democracy and Local Government Foundation as well as other experts in the field. During the act, issues such as direct investment in measures to promote the protection and recovery of life in the territory were addressed, as well as the different challenges and complexity that this entails for public administrations.
The president of the Provincial Council wanted to recall that “the fight against depopulation, equal opportunities, speaking of equity, equality, redistributive justice. Talking about all that is the objective of any self-respecting deputation”.
That is why he wanted to highlight that the current mandate will continue to develop many of these plans to act against the “depopulation challenge”. “For the first time, the Provincial Council of Alicante has launched a project against depopulation, there are exactly 30 populations at risk, we have just approved the plan + cerca, with 44 and a half million euro for these populations”.
Likewise, Mazón has also mentioned the “more than 5 million euro that the council has invested in electric vehicles and charging points, helping municipal mobility.” In addition to a fire plan, European fund projects or more recently its contribution to the support and management of drinking water in 7 municipalities. “We have launched new projects and tools that are here to stay.”
In this way, it is intended to face these difficulties that a large number of inhabitants live in municipalities of the province, addressing the problem of difficult communication with the cities through the management of roads, structuring and connection of our territory.
For his part, the director of the Fundación Democracia y Gobierno Local recalled that these initiatives allow us to “strengthen ties between local governments” and show that “the demographic challenge” is on the political agenda since it is topical and has a character of vital importance for the life of citizens.
He also wanted to point out that there are two perspectives on the problem. On one side; population problems in the rural world and, secondly; differently and complementarily, the dysfunctions that generate seasonal overpopulation on the coast.
Lastly, he invited attendees to “reflect on the demographic challenge, rural depopulation is part of it, not all of it” is more extensive, they are also public policies in the territory. There is a need to plan the measures in terms of the demographic challenge and he recalled that a package of measures in terms of legislation “is probably not the most relevant” it is necessary to delve into the need to plan and collaborate between all public administrations . Examine the role of the council in the fight against the demographic challenge, as well as the importance of public-private participation, employment and public levers, in addition to citizen participation and cooperation.
