Latest News: MESH Recordings...
Latest News: MESH Recordings...
Posted in BRIDGES IPO news, News on Apr 15, 2026.
The UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition is proud to announce the formal recognition of the initiative ‘Integrated Areas of Landscape Management in Mação (AIGP)’ as an outstanding example of humanities-anchored, transdisciplinary sustainability science.
This recognition follows a rigorous evaluation of the project’s alignment with BRIDGES’ principles, emphasising its ethical, transformative, and socially responsible practices.
This project, supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and the Environmental Fund, addresses the recurring problem of large forest fires in low-density territories. By redesigning the landscape through communitarian engagement, the initiative promotes the integrated management of approximately 20,000 continuous hectares. The project examines how a transition from technical solutions to a cultural vision can strengthen territory resilience, connecting production, conservation, and community functions.
Societal Challenges
The project addresses the critical issue of forest fire recurrence in the Centre Region of Portugal. While fires have often been viewed as a technical problem, this initiative identifies the core challenges as changes in the economic matrix, depopulation, and the discontinuity of cultural practices.
A significant barrier to sustainable management is territory fragmentation; the average land tenure is less than 0.5 hectares per building, with most owners living outside the region. This dispersal of ownership has historically prevented integrated strategies and led to landscape degradation. The AIGP seeks an alternative to expropriation through a participatory approach that involves locating and contacting hundreds of owners to co-design a shared vision for the future.
Humanities-Informed Approach
The research centres on the enhancement of material and intangible heritage as foundational tools. Key elements include:
Spaces of Memory: Using the "Spaces of Memory" within the AIGPs as the backbone of the methodology to preserve local knowledge while imagining future landscapes.
Creative Methodology: Incorporating the arts, including photography and poetry, to understand long-term landscape changes, alongside performative educational activities.
Cultural Preservation: Collaborating with the Earth and Memory Institute and the Museum of Mação to ensure research and preservation of heritage are integrated into territorial management.
Transdisciplinary Collaboration
The integrated landscape management methodology generates knowledge through the convergence of diverse disciplines and social actors:
Experts in ecology, urbanism, economics, and human and social sciences work together to create holistic solutions that respect both the environment and local needs.
Co-design and collaborative management ensure active participation from the local community, creating an environment conducive to innovative solutions.
Arts-Science Integration: Educational and creative activities, such as those seen in the “Ice and Fire” project, merge heritage awareness with scientific landscape transformation.
Collaborative Partnerships
Managing Entity: AZR - Gestão Territorial, S.A.
Public Institutions: ICNF (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests), DGT (Directorate-General for Territory), and the Environmental Fund.
Local Bodies: Municipality of Mação (representing inhabitants) and Aflomação (Associação Florestal de Mação), which defends the interests of owners and villages.
Academic and Cultural Partners: Earth and Memory Institute, Museum of Mação, APHELEIA seminars, and various universities.
Methodological Importance
The project's importance lies in its collaborative management model, which allows all owners, regardless of their economic availability, to participate in territory preservation. By allowing owners to delegate management responsibilities to the managing entity, the project ensures the continuity of actions and the maintenance of landscape integrity without individual burden. This transition from value to method transforms systemic fire risks into cultural and sustainable strengths.
Sustainable Development Goals
Through its focus on landscape resilience, community-led management, the preservation of material and intangible heritage, and environmental quality, the Integrated Areas of Landscape Management in Mação initiative addresses several of the United Nations SDGs: SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 13: Climate Action; SDG 15: Life on Land; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Expected Outcomes and Legacy
Medium-term
Rehabilitation of abandoned areas; promotion of biodiversity; revitalisation of the landscape through sustainable agricultural and forestry practices.
Long-term
Increased resilience against future environmental challenges; a global model for participatory territorial management; sustained community empowerment through cultural foresight and the reduction of vulnerability to forest fires.
The work of Integrated Areas of Landscape Management in Mação (AIGP) strengthens the global UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES network and contributes meaningfully to transformative, humanities-anchored community-led initiatives.
We heartily congratulate Integrated Areas of Landscape Management in Mação (AIGP) on the official endorsement of BRIDGES recognition and commend their contribution to highlighting how the humanities can drive sustainability science to address modern environmental crises.
Affiliated Websites
https://www.facebook.com/azr.aigp/
BRIDGES Recognition: Are you working on a project that’s making a difference to local communities and our shared planet? Learn more about the BRIDGES recognition programme.
