Inspiring rural heritage: sustainable practices to protect and conserve upland landscapes and memories

欧洲的高地景观是一项丰富而复杂的遗产，是数千年来自然和文化相互作用的产物。当地社区可以在保存和保护这一遗产方面发挥积极和重要的作用，造福更广泛的社会。然而，目前的养护措施和土地利用决策始终没有考虑到高地景观的历史层面，低估了当地从业者通过积极利用来维持其环境的贡献。IRIS是对这些关切以及因气候紧急情况和经济趋势导致的人口减少、荒废、传统技能丧失和土地利用变化而对高地景观造成的威胁的回应。IRIS的目标是促进社会和环境可持续的高地景观的养护、保护和利用。该项目将研究和开发一种“活遗产”保护方法，促进通过利用旱地环境和邻近农村地区进行“保护”。通过在五个国家(西班牙、法国、意大利、黑山、英国)以及更广泛的欧洲研究和知识交流，IRIS将：*展示有关历史过程和土地使用做法的知识如何支持高地景观的保护和可持续发展；*确定一种‘活的遗产’保护和最佳做法，使当地利益攸关方能够将其文化价值观、当地专门知识和传统融入其中；*支持地方机构和社区之间的合作，实现有效和多样化地参与高地景观的养护、保护、可持续发展和利用；*为地方和欧洲决策者提供新的工具，使他们能够：(A)考虑到农村地区的历史层面；(B)在决策中采用‘活的遗产’方法；*创建一个新的研究框架，促进对高地文化遗产及其更广泛的社会和环境价值和利益的了解；*在地方、欧洲和更广泛的国际层面交流和传播研究成果。关键词：活的乡村遗产、高地、农林牧实践、文化记忆、参与

Europe's upland landscapes are a rich and complex heritage, born of the interaction of nature and culture over millennia. Local communities can play an active and essential role in conserving and protecting this heritage, benefitting wider society. However, current conservation measures and land-use decisions consistently fail to consider the historic dimension of upland landscapes and underestimate the contribution of local practitioners in sustaining their environment through active use. IRIS is a response to these concerns, and to the threats to upland landscapes from depopulation, abandonment, the loss of traditional skills and land use change driven by the climate emergency and economic trends. IRIS aims to advance the socially and environmentally sustainable conservation, protection and use of upland landscapes. The project will research and develop a 'living heritage' approach to conservation, promoting the 'protection through use' of upland environments and adjacent rural areas. Through intensive and participatory research in five countries (Spain, France, Italy, Montenegro, the UK) and wider European research and knowledge exchange, IRIS will: * Demonstrate how knowledge of historical processes and land use practices supports the conservation and sustainable development of upland landscapes; * Define a 'living heritage' approach to conservation and best practices through which local stakeholders can embed in their cultural values, local expertise and traditions; * Support collaboration among local institutions and communities and realise effective and diverse participation in the conservation, protection, sustainable development and use of upland landscapes; * Provide local and European policy makers with new tools that will enable them to: (a) take into account the historical dimension of rural places, and; (b) implement a 'living heritage' approach to decision-making; * Create a new research framework that advances knowledge of upland cultural heritage and its wider social and environmental values and benefits; * Communicate and disseminate the research results at local, European and wider international levels. Key words: living rural heritage, uplands, agro-forestry-pastoral practices, cultural memory, participation