Adapting to and mitigating demographic trends in rural areas through evidence-based planning and innovative solutions

Expected Outcome:

The successful proposals will support the implementation of the long-term vision for EU’s rural areas, contribute to empower rural communities for transformative change to become sustainable and resilient, as well as to manage and adapt to a changing population.

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• improved understanding by all relevant actors of the causes and of the social, economic and environmental impacts of demographic trends in rural areas;
• rural communities are prepared to respond to the challenges of demographic trends thanks to evidence-based planning, appropriate actions, and through the inclusive engagement of stakeholders;
• the well-being of rural communities and the attractiveness of rural areas is improved thanks to sustainable and innovative solutions.

Scope:

Rural areas cover more than 80% of the EU territory and host approximately 30% of its population. Rural communities and areas provide essential ecosystem services for the whole society, such as food production, energy provision, management of natural resources as well as access to nature and cultural heritage. They play an essential role in the green and digital transitions. However, almost 9 out of 10 predominantly rural regions reported negative crude rates of natural population change during the period 2015–2020. In particular, the number of people aged 65 years or over increased by 1.8% each year in predominately rural regions. By contrast, the number of working-age people (20-64 years old) living in predominantly rural regions fell, on average, by 0.6% each year (EUROSTAT)^[1].

Many rural areas also face high variation of their populations, such as seasonal peaks that challenge the local infrastructures and services which are often calibrated only on permanent inhabitants. While some are affected more than others by negative demographic trends.

Proposals should address all of the following:

• advance the understanding of the causes and social (including but not limiting to gender and intersectional differentiations), economic and environmental impacts (including but not limiting to consequences related to land abandonment or land use changes also considering the green transition) of demographic trends;
• focus on how to support rural communities through evidence-based strategies that includes planning, monitoring of fluctuations, and propose appropriate actions to respond to population changes;
• find innovative solutions to mitigate and adapt to a changing population in rural areas. Particular attention should be paid to rural areas that are highly exposed to climate change effects.

The funded consortium should work on collecting evidence for better planning and develop sustainable and comprehensive long-term strategies for managing a changing population by considering the needs of rural communities. These needs should be identified by using an inclusive multi-actor approach. Consideration of gender and other social categories (disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnic and/or cultural origins, sexual orientation, etc.), and their intersections, must be ensured.

Proposals should test, develop and pilot innovative sustainable solutions that improve the well-being of rural communities based on their needs. In particular, they should focus on providing or co-creating with local communities innovative services that respond to the changing population, foster the sustainable development of strategic sectors, and support job creation in rural areas.

Financial support may be provided by the participants to third parties in the form of grants, in particular for the development, testing and piloting of sustainable solutions. If proposals decide to use this option, the consortium should also coordinate activities funded under the financial support to third parties and take stock of results for recommending appropriate policy measures.

Proposals should also focus on the sustainability and replicability of strategies and solutions. Moreover, proposals should develop an accessible tool, also making use of digital technologies, to support local and regional decision-makers to assess demographic impacts and plan for the future with evidence-based strategies in the framework of the just, fair and green transition.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach to involve relevant stakeholders, in particular for the development of innovative solutions, which may include public authorities, rural communities, as well as SMEs, organisations, and social economy actors.

Proposals should build on research done by the EU rural observatory, and by relevant projects funded under Horizon Europe.

Moreover, proposals should link with the demographic toolbox^[2].

This topic must involve the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH), including gender studies. Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the services offered by European research infrastructures such as the European social survey (ESS ERIC).

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Urban-rural_Europe_-_demographic_developments_in_rural_regions_and_areas

[2] Communication “Demographic change in Europe: a toolbox for action, https://commission.europa.eu/publications/communication-demographic-change-europe-toolbox-action_en