The Bonares City Council and the Coopinte cooperative lead the participation of the GRAPE project, co-financed by EU Commission, in the town to promote the participatory development of a green and social resilience action plan for the town.

For the promoters of this initiative, the articulation of proposals aimed at generating a model of social, environmental and economic development in terms of sustainability are essential to guarantee the well-being of the municipality.

Bonares, a municipality in the province of Huelva (Spain) with a surface area of the municipal area of 66 km², a population of 6,060 inhabitants and a density of 91.82 inhab/ km² , faces global challenges such as those caused by climate change. A problem that directly affects one of its main economic assets, such as agriculture, and that can put part of the natural capital associated with the ecological and landscape values of Doñana at risk. Likewise, the municipality shows the lack of economic diversity, entrepreneurial initiatives or generational change in its productive fabric.

This situation leads it to pay special attention to projects in the tourism field, such as those carried out by its partners in the GRAPE project, Sifnos and Mirabella Imbaccari, which are valuing endogenous resources to attract visitors and tourists in an orderly manner. For the promoters of this initiative, as well as for the actors from different sectors and organizations that have participated in the different workshops and meetings, it is key to take advantage of singular and unique elements such as the traditional Cruces de Mayo, the natural values that relate them to the space natural Doñana and with the Tinto river, as well as its preferential location to the motorway that connects the cities of Huelva and Seville, but also to Portugal to develop an attractive, unique and sustainable tourist offer.

Multilevel cooperation and collaboration

On the other hand, participation in the GRAPE project has demonstrated the municipal commitment to the social economy as a strength. As well as the generation of alliances with other public entities such as the Diputación de Huelva, the Commonwealth of County Municipalities, Andalucía Emprende etc and with the business and associative fabric of the municipality.

Multilevel cooperation and collaboration facilitates the development of initiatives and proposals aimed at generating a more just, inclusive and sustainable society. It is also worth noting the widespread assessment of being a municipality with benefits in both the educational, sports and cultural fields, and with a good quality of life.

From the City Council and Coopinte, who have also been able to visit and learn about the activities of the project partners on the trips made to Italy and Greece, the initiative is valued as a space that favors the exchange of experiences and knowledge of practices that can be replicable in the territories, and helps to make small municipalities in the European Union visible .

The challenge, as has been collected in the participatory actions, is to be able to generate new proposals that guarantee the development and well-being of the Municipality of Bonares, and its connection with its province, in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability. For this, it is essential to work to find formulas that generate new ventures, as well as to continue advancing so that key sectors such as agri-food are increasingly sustainable.

Bonares, as seen in this collaborative and participatory process, has enormous challenges, but also enormous potential to become a municipality aligned with sustainability as the best roadmap to guarantee the well-being of present and future generations.