Valdevaqueros is one of the last virgin beaches in Tarifa. Its 70 hectares are part of the Estrecho Natural Parc, which is protected by European law and has been declared a Biosphere Reserve. |
Valdevaqueros is one of the last virgin beaches in Tarifa. Its 70 hectares are part of the Estrecho Natural Parc, which is protected by European law and has been declared a Biosphere Reserve. |
| Name of conflict: | Urbanistic Plan in Valdevaqueros, Tarifa, Spain |
| Country: | Spain |
| State or province: | Cadiz |
| (municipality or city/town) | Tarifa |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
| Type of conflict: 1st level: | Tourism Recreation |
| Type of conflict: 2nd level : | Tourism facilities (ski resorts, hotels, marinas) |
| Specific commodities: | Tourism services |
| Project details: | A macro-tourist complex and 350 houses were to be built. |
| Project area: | 8 |
| Type of population | Urban |
| Affected Population: | 17 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Grupo GMT from Spain |
| Relevant government actors: | Tarifa Town Council, Andalucia Regional Government, Spanish Ministry of Environment |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Plataforma Salvemos Valdevaqueros, Cigüeña negra, SEO Birdlife, Greenpeace, Verdemar - ecologistas en acción, Indignados Tarifa, Asociación Territorios Vivos, Agaden, WWF |
| Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| Reaction stage | PREVENTIVE resistance (precautionary phase) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Local ejos Neighbours/citizens/communities Recreational users surfers |
| Forms of mobilization: | Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism Media based activism/alternative media Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns using social networks |
| Environmental Impacts | Potential: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Noise pollution, Soil contamination, Soil erosion |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Potential: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Loss of livelihood, Loss of landscape/sense of place |
| Project Status | Stopped |
| Conflict outcome / response: | New legislation Project cancelled |
| Development of alternatives: | Not to build anything. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | Yes |
| Briefly explain: | The local EJOs and national environmental NGOs developed an impressive and successful campaign using social media. They also presented the conflict in the main Spanish conventional media and got thousand of supporters throughtout the country. |
| Related laws and legislations - Juridical texts related to the conflict |
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| References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries |
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| Links to general newspaper articles, blogs or other websites |
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| Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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| Contributor: | Amaranta Herrero |
| Last update | 08/04/2014 |