The Mieres Campus of the University of Oviedo hosted the 2nd Meeting of the Strategic Network for the Creation of an Observatory on Depopulation and Rural Descent (DESP-OB) on April 29th and 30th. This national initiative brings together eleven research centers with the aim of analyzing the causes, impacts, and potential responses to the phenomenon of depopulation.
The meeting opened with an institutional welcome held in the Conference Room of the Research Building. Participants included Elena Lasarte, Professor of Applied Economics and coordinator of REGIOlab at the University of Oviedo; Rubén C. Lois, Professor of Geography, Director of IDEGA (USC), and coordinator of the DESP-OB network; Ana Velasco Tirado, coordinator of the National Observatory for Territorial Equity and the Demographic Challenge; and Teresa Iglesias, Deputy Mayor of Mieres.
“Places like Mieres are fighting to build a future beyond mining, which is why it’s important to create spaces for reflection,” added the deputy mayor. For his part, the coordinator of DESP-OB emphasized the network’s objectives and the need to generate shared knowledge in workshops that allow participants to observe experiences on how to address depopulation.
The day on April 29th continued with the lecture “Places That Don’t Matter? Rural Depopulation in its Historical Perspective,” given by Fernando Collantes, Professor of History and Economic Institutions at the University of Oviedo. Over the two days, the meeting brought together researchers from various disciplines to advance the analysis of depopulation from a comprehensive perspective, addressing its causes, impacts, and possible solutions.
A working group meeting was held with representatives from the Mieres City Council and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. “We have shared the work of DESP-OB and the State Secretariat. We identified common ground, as both parties have worked on indicators related to territorial equity. We believe that the conclusions of this network against depopulation can be transferred and inform the work of the State Secretariat,” added Ana Velasco.
The Strategic Network for the Creation of an Observatory on Depopulation and Rural Development (DESP-OB) is made up of eleven research centers throughout Spain and works on analyzing the phenomenon of depopulation from a multidisciplinary perspective. Its objective is to promote the creation of a national observatory that will systematize existing knowledge, identify territorial dynamics, and contribute to the design of more effective public policies to address the demographic challenge.
