Rivista "IBC" XI, 2003, 4
Dossier: L'IBC per l'Europa
territorio e beni architettonici-ambientali, dossier /
The Emilia Romagna Region, together with the Provinces of Modena and Bologna, participates in the European project Life ECOnet, aimed at identifying and studying an ecological network covering the plains of the two provinces. Partners to the project, that is being financed by the Life-Environment EC programme and is co-ordinated by the county of Cheshire (UK), include among others the province of Gelderland (Netherlands) and the region of Abruzzo.
The project was started basically for sharing lessons and experience between realities that, although comparable as regards the environmental issues, are different from the viewpoint of both regulations and implementing tools. In this respect, strong similarities emerged between the River Po Valley and the Netherlands. During the study-visits, we had the opportunity to appreciate the solutions adopted by other countries, thus acquiring new tools for improving the situation in our region, as well.
The need is ever increasing to coherently manage the EC resources for agriculture, which are only too often allocated without considering their impact - be it positive or negative - on the ecological conditions of the territory. An eco net can pool the intelligence, skills and intentions that have till now been dispersed in many different, or even conflicting, directions. An ecological network consists basically of nodes and corridors and promotes the preservation of biodiversity. When the environment is strongly influenced by the human action, animal and vegetable communities are frequently lower in density than is required for their conservation. It is therefore necessary to create "corridors" through which individuals belonging to different micro-populations are free to move. Corridors must be structurally conceived so as to fulfil the ecological needs of the species we are willing to favour.
Thanks to the ECOnet project, three main habitats have been identified, namely forests, meadows and wetlands. These are fundamental habitats that are only patchily spread throughout the plains. For each of them, two animal species have been selected (landmark species), whose conservation status is critical and whose presence indicates that the local environmental conditions are suitable also for the life of other species.
The network, that is functional to the improvement of the life conditions of the identified species, was designed using a software developed by the Alterra Institute, a Dutch scientific institution connected with the University of Wageningen, that is one of the most experienced in the field of ecological nets.
This study work highlighted the strategic importance of fluvial areas for both creating and strengthening ecological corridors. The "ecological restoration areas", together with similar zones identified according to agro-environmental indicators, are already acting effectively as nodes of the net.
Discussions were held with the authorities in charge of fluvial areas and reclamation canals, so as to improve their ecological efficiency, thanks in particular to projects for their integrated management, which were devised in collaboration with the Centro italiano per la riqualificazione fluviale (the Italian centre for river restoration), that also set the guidelines for the management of waterways. The project grew out of the assumption that the planning and implementation of eco nets are the result of the joint efforts of a multiplicity of subjects, both in the public and in the private sector, and call for the pooling of resources around a common project in which all the actors have an active role to play.
Actions were devised to identify the stakeholders to be involved in the creation of the network, and an updated address book was set up; furthermore, interviews were conducted and analysed in collaboration with Eco&Eco. Meetings were organized by both the regional and provincial authorities with the various stakeholders. A key tool for the planning and following monitoring of the ecological net is the Geographical information system (GIS), thanks to which the designing phase was completed. The changes undergone by the landscape throughout history were analysed to quantify the losses in terms of habitats and the fragmentation caused by the road network as well as by urban sprawl. To spread knowledge and raise awareness it is vital to disseminate information. An information package and folders were thus produced, containing the starting files, along with files describing the outcomes of the project. The final report is now being edited, that will illustrate all the actions taken and the results achieved.
Web site:
IBC contact persons:
Alessandro Alessandrini, Enrico Ottolini, Patrizia Rossi
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