During his speech at the meeting “Demographic challenge and digitalization in rural Spain.“as part of a special recording of the podcast “Connecting the RURAL to the world“of Asteo Red Neutra at the Aotec25 Technology Fair, Florencio Cano, Deputy Director General for Analysis, Planning and Aid against Depopulation at the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, gave a comprehensive overview of the structural challenges facing rural Spain and the role that digitalization must play in this transformation process.
Florencio Cano explained, during his participation in this special edition presented by journalist Pilar Bernat, and in which also participated Pedro Abad, CEO of Asteo, that depopulation is a complex and multi-causal phenomenon, which has its roots in the rural exodus of the 60s and 70s and in a social conception still in force that associates the rural with a second-class option. Faced with this dichotomous view, or of opposing worlds, between the urban and the rural, its General Secretariat are working on a new national strategy that allows, on the one hand, to face this challenge in a collaborative way between administrations, also incorporating the voice of society through participatory processes and, on the other hand, to change the story to a more positive and optimistic approach, which helps to change the traditionally negative image of the rural world and that can be perceived as a place full of opportunities.The project will also help to improve the self-image of rural dwellers, which is generally very limited.
We must face the demographic challenge in a collaborative manner and make rural projects more visible.
Among the structural factors pointed out by citizens are the lack of access to housing, limitations in public transportation, deficits in connectivity and the scarcity of services, both administrative and cultural. Although progress has been made in network coverage, Cano warned that, although many efforts have been made to improve connectivity at the national level, there are still difficulties in the quality of access, especially in mountainous areas or areas with difficult orography, which limits the real use of digitalization.
One of the initiatives most highlighted by the Deputy Director was the promotion of the rural guarantee mechanism, an instrument that seeks to incorporate a rural perspective in the design of laws and budgets. rural guarantee mechanism, an instrument that aims to incorporate the rural perspective into the design of laws and budgets.. With this tool, the administrations seek to review the impact of regulations according to the particularities of the territory and thus prevent public decisions from being designed solely from and for the urban sphere or from unintentionally harming the rural world.
On the digital level, Cano stressed the need to make visible the projects that are already being developed in the rural environment and that demonstrate that there is a great capacity to innovate, collaborate and generate opportunities also outside the big cities. The organization of events, technology fairs focused on rural areas, or the proliferation of individual or community initiatives, favor the associationism and scalability of projects that work.
He also wanted to emphasize that progress is not limited to infrastructure. The Ministry has promoted a line of aid for basic digital training courses in the rural world, with training in online banking, digital signatures and electronic services. With training in online banking, digital signature or electronic services. As he explained, the great reception of this initiative demonstrates the real interest in accessing technological tools that improve the daily lives of people, regardless of their age.
Cano shared some examples of innovation arising from the territories themselves, such as a shepherd who tracks his livestock from home using GPS and drones, or a city council that involved children and young people in decision-making through digital tools. He also mentioned cultural projects that reuse urban exhibitions to bring culture to the villages through itinerants.
In closing, he stressed the importance of collaboration between administrations, citizens and the private sector, as well as the key role played by mayors as central figures in promoting these initiatives, despite the regulatory and resource difficulties they face. “But mayors But mayors are fundamental as the focal point, as the pivot of all the initiativesBut the mayors are fundamental as a central point, as the pivot of all the actions that are carried out in their territory and who want to work to improve life in their town. But not only the mayors, but also the associations of the territories, the civil society civil society itself. That is to say, I believe that in general, all the focus is put on the administrations, which it should be, but we are all participants in the change. we are all participants in the change“.
