Solutions for the Sustainable Management of a Cultural Landscape in Danger: Mar Menor, Spain

The focus of this paper is a case study on the municipality of San Javier in Spain. The aim of the analysis was to provide a working model for the integration of the assessment and conservation of built heritage into broader projects devoted to the sustainable restoration of natural spaces undergoing evident declines in habitability. With a population of 31,905, San Javier is located on the edge of the Mar Menor, which is one of the largest permanent salt water lagoons in the Mediterranean. It forms part of the coastal region of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. San Javier is one of four municipalities that administer this unique ecosystem. However, despite being designated as a protected natural site since its 14 beaches are one of the most important national and international tourist destinations in this Autonomous Community, since 2016, it has suffered one of the worst environmental crises in its history. One of the outcomes of this situation is that the government bodies involved have begun to seek new models for the area’s complete regeneration that would enable sustainable growth and also include the social and economic sectors that have, to date, played a secondary role in managing the area. In this regard, cultural heritage should play a key role. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the region’s cultural heritage, despite the complex issues involved in its management, especially for the local administrative bodies, can contribute to the creation of new models for regeneration. Besides the added value of cultural prestige provided by this area’s unique cultural landscape, which is a further legacy of the region’s history and artistic development, engaging with cultural heritage facilitates the revival of traditional systems that contribute to environmental improvement. Finally, this paper provides tools that enable local groups, and, above all, the residents themselves, to identify with the values of their cultural heritage.