The Baena City Council is closer to achieving greater protection for the Laguna de la Quinta, a natural resource listed in the Andalusian inventory of wetlands and ecological reserves. The Councilor for Environment, Cristina Vidal, accompanied by the mayor, María Jesús Serrano, explained that this site deserves to be a Concerted Natural Reserve, a protection status granted by the Junta de Andalucía.
Since the current government team took office, efforts have been made to achieve this designation. The latest advancement has been the development of a Conservation and Management Plan, an essential requirement for obtaining this status. This plan, which will be discussed in the next plenary session, details the natural, environmental, landscape, faunal, and botanical values of the lagoon, highlighting its importance as a breeding ground for species such as the white-headed duck, the avocet, and the black-winged stilt, in addition to hosting a large colony of flamingos.
Councilor Vidal pointed out the strategic location of the lagoon, close to other wetlands like the Laguna del Rincón del Muerto and Casasola, with the aim of integrating it into an ecotourism circuit along with resources such as Torreparedones and the Cueva del Yeso. The work done with schoolchildren and the general population to raise awareness about this area has been valued, and it is considered essential to continue with awareness and environmental education campaigns.
The management plan includes guidelines for maintaining the basin, preventing silting, and preserving a suitable habitat for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and the existing vegetation.
For her part, Mayor María Jesús Serrano thanked the delegate for Environment for her work and the cooperation of the landowners in advancing the protection procedures. She also reported on actions carried out within the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan with Next Generation Funds, which included the reorganization and improvement of viewpoints at the Laguna de La Quinta and the Laguna del Rincón del Muerto, with an investment of 85,000 euros. A new ornithological observatory has been installed at the Laguna del Rincón del Muerto, and the one at the Laguna de La Quinta has been restored.
The mayor emphasized that these actions place the lagoon on the tourism map of the region, Andalusia, and Spain, responding to the demand for ornithological and nature tourism, a selective sector that generates economic resources. The connection with the Cueva del Yeso and Torreparedones will form a quality tourist axis. The government team reaffirms its commitment to protecting natural heritage for the present and future generations.
The actions at the lagoons were financed with funds from the European Union's Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (Next Generation EU), within the Baena Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD), focused on preventive improvements for climate change and the interpretation of the Baena lagoons.
