Revitalising rural communities – Energy self-sufficiency and valorisation of local forest resources
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/16142024Keywords:
energy self-sufficiency, woody biomass, rural communities, short supply chain, renewable energyAbstract
This study examines strategies for revitalising historic rural mountain settlements suffering from demographic decline, focusing on those in the earthquake-affected area of the central Apennines hit in 2016. Through a holistic, multidisciplinary, and multi-scalar approach, the paper investigates the interconnections between economic revival – driven by the enhancement of local resources – and the energy upgrading of settlements to improve quality of life and encourage long-term repopulation. A methodology for assessing the technical feasibility of achieving energy self-sufficiency is developed to initiate virtuous circular systems, where environmental protection, local economic benefits, and global goals of climate neutrality and energy independence reinforce each other, ultimately benefiting local communities.
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Received: 10/09/2024; Revised: 14/10/2024; Accepted: 16/10/2024
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