A propòsit del paisatge menorquí: paradoxes, reptes i responsabilitats

This work includes reflections on the landscape in general and on the landscape of Menorca in particular, with a brief historical review of the essential aspects and cosmologies of the cultures associated with the island of Menorca (Talaiotic, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Catalan and English) up to the present day. A warning is given regarding the threats to the landscape being posed by current policies on tourism, building, energy and agriculture, and a series of strategies aimed at safeguarding the Menorcan landscape and its vitality and values is proposed. These include measures ranging from (1) education with a more existential base; (2) the use of the arts, especially amongst young people, to develop awareness and appreciation of the landscape; (3) evaluation of the incidence of political and tourist messages; and (4) the idea that the Menorca Island Council joins the European Landscape Convention and begins to adopt transversally and coherently all of its policies, activities, criteria and principles.