Researchers, public and private managers, public authorities and other interested parties from different fields joined together with the aim of sharing examples of scientific evidence, management experiences and governance models, to carry out an enriching and constructive debate on these issues, co-organised by CREAF, ICEA, SCB and the IEC, this autumn, the 31^st of October 2024. The UNESCOMED centre, the headquarters of Abertis Foundation, contributed with a Mediterranean view to the debate, with the speech by Prof. Roser Maneja Protected natural  spaces and resilient landscapes in the context of the Mediterranean.

Among the public authorities, joined the event the Secretary of Ecological Transition, from the Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition from the Government of Catalonia, Mr. Jordi Sargatal. He gave a historical view, with a speech on The  model of protected natural areas and their future, with examples on how endangered territories were successfully protected thanks to the “seduction”, as he called it, and involvement of their inhabitants. From EUROPARC-Spain and the Foundation Fernando González Bernáldez, Dr. Marta Múgica reflected on The Change That Changes Us: New Questions and Possible Responses from Protected Areas to Climate Change.

The debate centred on the concept of protected natural area and how it has evolved over time, as has society, with different models that have been configured according to the historical moment. The resulting network of protected natural areas has been an important element for the conservation of biodiversity, education and leisure in society and also a driver of rural socio-economic dynamism. The increase in disturbances associated with climate change and the constant increase in pressure on public use placed questions on the future scenario of these spaces and how to approach their adaptation and also their contribution to the mitigation of climate change.