DWINDLING populations and the threat of becoming empty in a generation or two are an ongoing worry for inland villages – and 10 of them have banded together to tackle the issue.
Although the Ribera Alta district does not appear on Spain’s official list of areas facing ‘depopulation’, many of its villages are seeing an exodus of working-age residents and those who could potentially have children, and an average age of inhabitants rising rapidly.
Now, the eight hamlets in the Xúquer Valley area – Alcàntera, Antella, Beneixida, Càrcer, Cotes, Gavarda, Sellent and Sumacàrcer – plus l’Ènova and Senyera have set up a multi-disciplinary association called SECOT (Spanish Seniors for Technical Cooperation).
