On March 14 and 15, the first technical meeting was held in the Kuartango region of the Basque Country to share ideas and analyze success stories as part of PAISACTIVO – a European project aimed at sustainable land management and reducing the risk of fires, which was launched on December 15 in Infesta – Monterrei – Verin – Galicia.
The highlight of this first technical meeting was the visit and meeting at Kuartango Lab, a center for entrepreneurship and innovation that promotes territorial and intergenerational cohesion. This center, located in a building that until the end of the 20th century functioned as a spa, began operating in 2021, providing workspace and meeting rooms for local companies, coworking areas and a theater, and a coliving area is under construction. The visit was led by Iván del Caz de Diego, founding partner of BIKO – Cooperativa para el Bem Comum (Cooperative for the Common Good), which manages and promotes the space, as well as the Mayor of Kuartango, Miren Meabe.
There was also a visit to the Añana salt pans, in the western part of the Álava region, managed by the Valle Salado de Añana Foundation. It is an area with more than 7000 years of history and uninterrupted operation, one of the oldest salt production sites, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thanks to the Foundation that manages its restoration, it has become a driving force behind the economic revitalization of the area through its various activities: salt production, tourism, gastronomy, restoration and research work, as well as educational activities.
Involving an overall investment of 1.5 million euros, co-financed by POCTEC – the Operational Program for Cross-Border Cooperation between Spain and Portugal, the project foresees an investment of around 250 thousand euros for the village of Almofrela, in the Campelo and Ovil parish union.
At the meeting, the Municipality of Baião was represented by João Paulo Borges, from the Community Projects Office, and Dora Pinto, from the Green Team. Also present were representatives of the project’s other partners: the Intermunicipal Community of Tâmega and Sousa – CIM-TS; the University of Porto; AGADER – the Galician Rural Development Agency; the University of Santiago de Compostela and the Juana de Vega Foundation.
Following this visit, another meeting has already been scheduled for April 5 in Ostana, Italy. On April 24 it will be the turn of the village of Infesta, in Galicia, to welcome the project team. Baião will host the partners on May 2 and 3 for a visit to Almofrela, a model village included in the initiative, which aims to preserve and boost it. The Almofrela Hostel will also take on the role of the village’s Interpretive Center.
paisactivo.eu
