so as to prevent fires.
Nevertheless, the aim is to develop a new sus-
tainable system among the Natural Parks in order to
accomplish an ecological self-regeneration system.
Taking this into account, the Andalusian legislation
on natural spaces establishes a Sustainable Deve-
lopment Scheme for each Natural Park and its su-
rroundings. Andalusia is a pioneer region in Spain in
terms of this planning and Natural Park networking.
Therefore, these have become a kind of laboratory
for working on sustainability development.
Sustainable Development Schemes aim to pro-
mote Natural Parks at both an economic and social
level, attracting social and business investment and
enhancing Natural Park resources. They therefore
require infrastructure, equipment, human resources
and R&D in order to enable a sustainable develop-
ment. But they specially focus on the land’s social
potential and therefore ask for people’s participation
as a whole. Success will ultimately depend on peo-
ple’s involvement.
A living process with land as main focus
The elaboration of Sustainable Development
Plans responds to a strategic planning which emer-
ges from the identification of problems and necessi-
ties connected with environmentally focused sustai-
nable development. It also has to do with a potential
which is not being fulfilled and this is how the final
objectives are set. The planning process needs to
be supervised in order to ensure that every action is
executed and there is an assessment stage in order
to introduce possible modifications. It is therefore a
dynamic plan which is permanently focusing on the
territory.
Contrasting with other plans which are often
never implemented, the Sustainable Development
Schemes rely on a Social Economic Board dedicated
to ensure everything is materialised and coordina-
ted with different departments within the regional
government. This is followed by a supervision of to
what extent the projects are being implemented as
well as with the incorporation of new measures to
meet the region’s necessities.
Succeeding in three areas
In accordance to the Environmental and Develop-
ment Conference (Río de Janeiro, 1992), the Andalu-
OTWO 06 / JANUARY 2020
sian Natural Parks Sustainable Development Plans
aim to go ahead in three areas: social, economic
and environmental. A coordinated action in order
to ensure economic progress (profitable actions),
social progress (equal wealth distribution, more
employment, higher salaries, social inclusion, gen-
der equality) and environmental improvement (cycle
economy, de-carbonization, biodiversity enhance-
ment, natural resources preservation…) within the
use and activity on the area.
It all consists in overcoming the idea that every
area has to be dealt with separately, which often
leads to contradiction. Rather than focusing on a
profit-making system which pays little attention to
social and environmental issues, the idea is to pro-
mote actions which would lead to benefits for all.
Cooperation means success
The Natural Parks Sustainable Development plans
emphasise cooperation and commitment among all
the social agents involved in the planning process.
Participation ensures efficiency and opens doors to
the public, enabling them to take part in the process
and allowing a brainstorming concept based on con-
OTWO 06 / JANUARY 2020
sensus and dialogue. This ensures that the measures
implemented will match the global necessities.
Participation in the planning process means that
there will be a collective action in which not only the
basic needs will be tackled, but also the solutions for
problems that may emerge. Concerning sustainable
development, cooperation enables the design of the
best strategies in order to ensure development wi-
thout negatively affecting future generations.
A Sustainable Development Scheme
Even though each Natural Park has designed a
specific Sustainable Development Plan, there are
some common objectives and strategies emerging
from the cultural and social economical context.
A significant part of the actions that are carried
out are intended to improve the sustainability of the
primary industry (farming, hunting, forests, cattle or
fishing). The aim is to promote ecological production,
bring material cycles to an end, favour self-energetic
production, protect the soil and local flora and impro-
ve production infrastructures. But doing so demands
an increase in the land’s added value, promoting a
transformation in agriculture, especially in the ar-
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