Ecoterritory as a Living Socio-Ecological Unit: a reconceptualisation for contemporary territorial planning

Abstract

The concept of ecoterritory emerged in the Portuguese and Iberian context as a strategic planning instrument aimed at enhancing natural heritage, promoting environmental sustainability, and fostering the construction of territorial identities. Despite its relevance, the concept remains limited in terms of conceptual and operational consolidation within the international scientific debate. However, the intensification of the climate crisis, the growing complexity of territorial dynamics, and the consolidation of new paradigms—such as Nature-Based Solutions, open science, and collaborative governance models—highlight the limitations of a predominantly normative and strategic-institutional approach.

This article advances a conceptual proposal to reconceptualize the ecoterritory as a living socio-ecological unit, understood as a co-evolutionary territorial system in which biophysical processes, social practices, educational dispositifs, and forms of governance are continuously, adaptively, and openly articulated. Based on a genealogical analysis of the concept and a critical dialogue with international experiences—particularly from Francophone and Canadian contexts—the article identifies the limitations of first-generation ecoterritories and proposes a second-generation approach, grounded in the integration of physical geography, open education, and situated knowledge production.

An integrated ecoterritory model is presented, structured around five interdependent layers (biophysical; socioeconomic and cultural; educational and cognitive; institutional governance; and innovation), enabling the articulation between theory and territorial operationalization. The article argues that the explicit incorporation of open education, open science, and Nature-Based Solutions strengthens the capacity of ecoterritories to address contemporary challenges related to sustainability, climate resilience, and territorial justice. It concludes that this approach offers relevant implications for territorial planning and for the design of more integrated and adaptive public policies.