RURITAGE - Cultural heritage as a driver for sustainable development.
RURITAGE is a 4-year EU-funded project under the Horizon 2020 programme led by the University of Bologna in Italy. Ruritage establishes a new heritage-led rural regeneration approach, transforming rural areas into laboratories for sustainable development, building on the enhancement of their unique Cultural and Natural Heritage potential. It fosters the ambition for a new paradigm for rural regeneration based on Cultural and Natural Heritage, making a culture a driver for sustainable development, contributing to economic growth, social inclusion and environmental sustainability in rural areas.
This project brings together 38 partners from 18 countries (Italy, Spain, Austria, UK, Ireland, Austria, Germany, France, Finland, Poland, the Netherlands, Hungary, Slovenia, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Turkey, Colombia).
Katla Geopark comes into the project as a Role Model in resilience, one of 6 Systemic Innovation Area defined for the project. The other SIAs are: pilgrimages; sustainable local food production; migration; art and festivals; and integrated landscape management.
Given the unique nature of Iceland and the area of Katla Geopark, Icelanders have knowledge and experience with natural disasters. With the way of life, history and culture being heavily affected by this ever-present threat, resilience is a big factor of why the inhabitants have managed to endure and keep living in an environment such as Katla Geopark.
