Study cases (I): Brañas de Laíño

Located on the bank of the River Ulla, near its mouth into the Arousa estuary , the Brañas de Laíño (Dodro) represents one of the largest wetlands in Galicia. Historically its use was communal, although at present they are not officially recognized as a communal space, as is the case of the forests of Baroña or Froxán, nor are they currently managed by the local population.

The recent interventions that have been carried out in this place have been promoted based on environmental concerns and are coordinated by the state administration.

Brañas de Laíño is an area of special environmental value, habitat of numerous birdlife, some of which are under conservation or even threatened. This has led to the area being designated as a LIC (Lugar de Interés Comunitario, Place of Community Interest) and to be worthy of protection by the Natura 2000 Network, currently a ZEC (Zona de Especial Conservación, Special Conservation Area). With regard to its management and ownership, after the “plot concentration” promoted by the local residents, it was, years later, affected by the Ley de Costas, State Coastal Law; a process of restriction of uses and appropriation whose conflict and consequences will have to be gauged. These recent interventions, which have been promoted based on environmental concerns, are coordinated by the state administration. However, historically, the brañas were something quite different.

It is not by chance that two of the first dairy cooperatives in Galicia were founded in Laíño (1932); nor is it a coincidence that Nestlé was located opposite (1933); and that the export of livestock, such as fattened oxen, has been so important since the nineteenth century.

Essential for the functioning of the agroecosystem in the parishes of Laíño (San Xoán and San Xulián) and Dodro (Santa María), the brañas were divided into two large areas. The area closest to the villages was the so-called campías, whose use – for example, for the planting of cereals – was linked to each house, while the area closest to the river was the braña itself, which was managed collectively and was recognized for the great value of its grass, which was optimal for raising livestock. It is not by chance that two of the first dairy cooperatives in Galicia were founded in Laíño (1932); nor is it a coincidence that Nestlé was located opposite (1933); and that the export of livestock, such as fattened oxen, has been so important since the nineteenth century. However, in spite of all this, today the situation of the brañas can be summarised in a few very different words: abandonment and chaos.

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Located on the bank of the River Ulla, near its mouth into the Arousa estuary , Brañas de Laíño (Dodro) represents one of the largest wetlands in Galicia. Historically its use was communal, although at present they are not officially recognized as a communal space, nor are they managed by the local population.
A substantial part of the territory occupied by forests (over two million hectares in total), mostly in many regions of the southern half of Galicia, is managed by this little-known figure, despite the fact that it includes half a million owners in common; a fifth of the inhabitants of Galicia.
The area in which the Ecosocial Lab project is being developed is the Barbanza, a peninsula located between the Noia and Arousa rías (estuaries), a territory with a considerable population density and with a deep anthropization.
The Barbanza Ecosocial Lab looks to the past and seeks to imagine a sustainable future based on a biocultural heritage that still underpins the communities that inhabit the territory.
Barbanza Ecosocial Lab, promoted by Histagra research group (University of Santiago de Compostela) and Fundación RIA, is a pioneering space for research and action that aims to consolidate eco-agro-innovative proposals that contribute to move the region towards more sustainable practices.
The Lab’s online home is a platform for meeting, knowledge-sharing and information. Through engaging graphics, maps, videos and articles, online visitors can access the work, the people and the stories around the project and its research on sustainable development in the Barbanza peninsula in Galicia.