Otranto, in the southern part of the southern region of Apulia, has historically been a city of crossings, meetings and dialogue. The Mediterranean opens in front of Otranto, and the Asian and the African continent look closer than elsewhere.
The issues and difficulties faced by the coast here are very similar to those challenging coasts across the sea, and that’s why Otranto was chosen as host of the MedPROACT’s launch event in Italy.
On Saturday the 4th of July, in the beautiful location of Castello Aragonese, the MedPROACT’s Italian project partners (CIHEAM Bari, Legambiente, Università di Siena) will introduce it to local institutions, land and sea managers and the people enjoying the Summer night in Otranto.
Going by the title “A Sea Under Stress: Understanding the Pressures and Building Responses for the Future of Communities”, the meeting will focus on the multiple stresses currently affecting the Mediterranean and its coastal communities: climate change, erosion, biodiversity loss, tourism pressure, pollution, transformation of marine habitats, the presence of invasive alien species, and growing competition between different uses of the sea and coast.
Why is the Otranto – Tricase – Santa Maria di Leuca coast representative of these processes?
The coastal stretch between Otranto and Leuca represents a particularly significant case study as it mirrors, at a local scale, the dynamics and critical issues affecting the entire Mediterranean basin. Starting from these challenges, the event aims to provide a forum for public discussion on the future of coastal areas, enhancing the role of scientific knowledge, local community participation, and Mediterranean cooperation.
The initiative will provide an opportunity to discuss not only the pressures threatening the sea and the coast, but also possible solutions for building models of resilience, climate adaptation, and sustainable development in the Mediterranean – the final goal of our project.
Confirmed participations so far:
• Francesco Bruni, Mayor of Otranto
• Biagio Di Terlizzi, Director – CIHEAM Bari
• Daniela Salzedo, President – Legambiente Puglia
• Giuseppe Rubino, Regione Puglia, National Contact Point NEXT MED Programme
• Maria Cristina Fossi, Ecology and Ecotossicology Professor at University of Siena
• Antonio Nicoletti, Head of the Parks Deparment – Legambiente
• Massimo Zuccaro, Head of “Blue Communities” Unit – CIHEAM Bari
• Michele Tenore, President- Natural Regional Park Otranto – S. Maria di Leuca – Bosco di Tricase Coast
• Francesco De Franco, Director – Natural Regional Park Litorale di Ugento
• Luigi Ricci, ISPRA – Head of the Department for Environmental Monitoring and Protection and Biodiversity Preservation
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