What futures for the Apennines? The anthropo-systemic value of mountainous inner areas

This paper contributes to the debate on the future of mountainous inner areas experiencing chronic depopulation by evaluating the costs and benefits of their abandonment. To this end, our analysis surveys and assesses their unique territorial capital—both in its tangible and intangible elements—that is often neglected or trivialized, especially in the economic debate. We refer to these characteristics as Anthropo-systemic assets and values, namely local factors activated by local communities whose existence is threatened by the ongoing depopulation process they are experiencing. Against this background, we provide a case study regarding the 2016–17 seismic crater in Central Italy which suggests that abandoning these areas represents a local and collective net loss, even from a public budget perspective. Instead, enhancing the liveability of these contexts is essential for regenerating and reactivating their territorial capital that would otherwise be irretrievably lost. • Depopulation of mountainous areas is threatening their future. • Their value is underestimated by stigmatizing metrics. • We introduce the notion of Anthropo-systemic value. • We holistically assess the territorial capital losses due to the abandonment. • Only human presence allows regenerating territorial capital otherwise lost.