Studies, training, socio-economical valorization and management of natural, cultural and monumental property for the promotion of the local societies of Latin America (Argentina, Brazil and Mexico)
When a natural or monumental site is declared as a protected area such as World Cultural Site, National Historic Monument, Biosphere Reserve, Natural Space, a strong impact undergoes in the region. This declaration involves a large public and private investment which often affects only the site itself or immediate surroundings. The direct impact is reduced by marginalization of more distant areas, which in many cases, present unquestionable heritage values, susceptible of being valorised and recovered in order to further generate financial resources to promote economic, social and regional development. The protected sites act as a powerful magnet promoting economic and social bookmarking of remote places, if that marginal area is valorised properly. Such valorisation generates knowledge and good practices that can be transferred to natural or monumental sites that have received some form of protection either at national or international level in Latin America in order to avoid the marginalization of surrounding areas. To overcome the reduced impact and promote future economic and social progress derived from such declarations, the STRAVAL main purpose is to make non-interventional studies on the conservation of these sites in LA in order to valorise the selected sites. Such studies will be performed from an architecture, environment, geo&bio-diversity, history and conservation/alteration of building materials point of view. It will complemented by the identification of existing economic potentials around these sites and a social study of the neighbouring populations. As a result of the performed studies, education and training programs shorter training courses and open day sessions addressed to students in Higher Education Institutions, civilian population at large and to professionals in the tourism sector will be one of the outputs of the project. A Valorisation, Business and Action Plans will become the other important output of STRAVAL.