The salt flats are ancient marsh spaces that were transformed by the hand of man in order to produce salt. This transformation allows the maintenance of a semi-natural water regime that has made it possible for centuries after their first ploughing, these spaces to be considered wetlands of high ecological interest, many of them included in the Ramsar wetland network and/or in the Natura 2000 Network.

The salt flats are ancient marsh spaces that were transformed by the hand of man in order to produce salt. This transformation allows the maintenance of a semi-natural water regime that has made it possible for centuries after their first ploughing, these spaces to be considered wetlands of high ecological interest, many of them included in the Ramsar wetland network and/or in the Natura 2000 Network.

Likewise, they house a cultural and ethnographic heritage in that they have the production of salt and the way of life in the salt flats and many of them even keep the memory of a historical heritage represented in archaeological sites. Finally, there is a rich immovable heritage threatened by oblivion and destruction consequent to lack of use.

The salt tradition of the Bay of Cadiz is long, from which the interest in carrying out the project “Salinas and sustainable employment” arises. There it has been proven that, once the salt business has gone into decline for various reasons and the salt flats are massively abandoned, most of them are not able to return to their natural state, the water regime is destabilized and what was an orchard is transformed into a “powder plant”, giving up that wide and varied heritage that it represents. even affecting the identity of the people who are, by definition, salt workers.

For all these reasons, this project seeks to improve the degree and quality of employment generated in the area of active coastal salt flats, while proposing new economic activities for their development that are compatible with these spaces and advocating for the recovery of those salt flats that were recently abandoned and still retain their structure.

It also seeks to diversify uses, adapt existing economic activities to new markets and trends and, in short, advocate for the sustainability of employment in the salt flats and promote an entrepreneurial culture. A culture that allows, in short, the survival of one of the few true examples of sustainable development that still exist in Spain.

The recipients of the project are mainly producers, businessmen and workers in the field of salt flats, associations for the conservation of salt flats and entities for the promotion of job creation for profit.

The results that will be obtained with this project are:

• Training of 50 recipients, although the project will reach a total of 1,264 workers.
• Creation of 30 jobs in the field of salt mines.
• Creation of three companies and seven new lines of business around the salt flats.
• Promotion of participatory and associative culture.