NaturCap, new digital tool for the sustainable development of Cap de Creus
The Sea Peoples Lab research group of the UAB Department of Anthropology launches a new digital tool with the aim of promoting marine conservation and ensuring sustainable development in the Cap de Creus region. The pilot platform is part of the EU-funded EmpowerUs project, a broader initiative launched in six coastal regions across Europe to empower coastal communities for sustainable, inclusive and resilient development.
The digital initiative NaturCap, promoted by the Sea Peoples Lab research group of the Department of Anthropology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, is a tool designed to encourage the promotion of ecological and cultural values in coastal communities. With a game format, the application tests the environmental, cultural and social knowledge that users have about the Marine Protected Area of the Natural Park of Cap de Creus. It can be accessed through the NaturCap website.
Through the web you will also be able to share, comment and associate with emotions the experiences lived in Cap de Creus. On the website you can also find links to learn about the initiatives that are organised to protect and conserve the Cap de Creus to promote their participation.
The main objectives of NaturCap are to offer attractive and recreational digital environments to disseminate ecological values that promote the care and preservation of the Cap de Creus region and its surroundings, to facilitate participation tools for both residents and visitors for the care of the environment and, finally, to strengthen the social network of agents committed to taking care of the territory.
This initiative arises from a participatory process with different social actors representing Cap de Creus, where challenges were identified and measures and possible solutions were proposed. The NaturCap platform not only offers educational and informative resources, but will also serve as a digital exchange platform for the coastal community. In addition, as part of the project, a fair in the Cap de Creus Natural Park is being planned for autumn. More than 12 entities, associations and research centres linked to the Marine Protected Area of Cap de Creus are collaborating in the initiative.
Along with the Cap de Creus area, the EmpowerUs project is being developed in five other coastal laboratories located in Ireland, Norway, Finland, Cyprus and Bulgaria, where similar initiatives are being carried out to address the specific challenges of each region.