El estado de conservación del paisaje de Galicia: veinte años después de la aprobación del Convenio Europeo del Paisaje

Abstract

The work analyzes the changes and transformations that affect the configuration and transformation of the Galician landscape after the 22 years that have elapsed since the signing of the European Landscape Convention. The balance of the same must be considered as negative, given the deficient protection that is carried out on biodiversity, the natural and cultural heritage of Galicia, where the surface declared as a protected natural area does not reach 15%, remaining far from the parameters set in the Biodiversity Strategy of the European Union. Traditional Galician landscapes have continued and accelerated the process of denaturation and transformation that began in the mid-20th century. Signs of this process include the expansion of intensive cultivation of non-native genetic resources (Pinus, Eucalyptus, etc.), as well as the irrational development of gray areas and rural and urban buildings, carried out at the cost of destroying unique elements of the landscape, and without measures correction and minimization of landscape impact. This anomalous situation puts in check the possibility that future generations can contemplate and enjoy well-preserved landscapes of high environmental value, losing the possibility of rationally and sustainably exploiting a vital resource for the benefit of society.