This initiative arises at the proposal of the Tourism Department and is supported by Next Generation EU funds.
The ‘Fuerte por Naturaleza’ programme by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, through the Tourism Department, is progressing and has initiated a new area of action: the sustainable rehabilitation of the Natural Protected Landscape of Valle Grande, located in the municipality of La Oliva, with support from Next Generation EU funds.
According to Lola García, the President of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, “these actions are part of the insular corporation’s commitment to protect our territory and landscape. They aim to restore the original state of the agricultural landscape in the area and the traditional agricultural systems such as the gavias, which are integral to Fuerteventura’s identity and essential for water conservation.”
The Tourism Councillor, Marlene Figueroa, explained that “we must enhance what is already a great asset for Fuerteventura and a part of our identity: its unique landscapes.”
Figueroa added, “in La Oliva, we have several significant examples that define us as Majoreros and also project a particular way of being and feeling in the eyes of visitors.”
The sustainable rehabilitation of the Natural Protected Landscape of Valle Grande is included in the ‘Fuerte por Naturaleza’ programme, part of the Sustainable Tourism Plan for the destination, with a budget of over €255,000. This is part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan of the Spanish Government, financed by the European Union (Next Generation EU funds).
The work will be carried out through a commission from the Cabildo to its own entity, Gestión y Planeamiento Territorial y Medioambiental (Gesplan). The intervention will cover an area of nearly 277,000 square metres, encompassing 36 parcels.
The main objective of this initiative is to preserve and enhance the natural environment of Valle Grande through traditional landscape restoration techniques, focusing on the rehabilitation of stone walls and traditional agricultural systems such as the gavias, which are fundamental to the landscape and rural identity of Fuerteventura.
These interventions will not only conserve the natural heritage but also recover the conditions that favour water retention and the maintenance of local biodiversity.
Key actions planned include the cleaning and repair of stone walls, the restoration of gavias for rainwater collection, landscape recovery through sustainable techniques, and the removal of elements that disrupt the natural environment.
