Towards the implementation of integrated coastal zone management in the Mediterranean: the CAMP Italy Project

The Coastal Area Management Programme (CAMP) of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) is a “country-driven” programme aimed at helping the Mediterranean Countries in their efforts towards sustainable development. Within it, the CAMP Italy Project is part of the Italian broader strategy for protection, management and sustainable development of the marine and coastal zones within the Barcelona Convention for the protection of the marine environment and the Mediterranean coastal region. Moreover, being a multi area project, it represents a unique experience within the CAMPs scenario. The Agreement for the CAMP Italy Project was signed in March 2014 by the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS), UNEP-MAP, and three Italian Regions (Emilia-Romagna, Sardinia and Tuscany). The major goal of the CAMP Italy Project is to encourage the implementation of national strategies for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Italy, based on pilot actions in several coastal areas of the sub mentioned Italian Regions. The Feasibility Study of the Project revealed a complex scenario that hinders the integrated management of coastal zones, mainly because of the fragmentation existing among the different levels of government. In particular, the main problems in the CAMP Areas are related to the absence of a centralized responsible authority for the coastal management. In fact, although acknowledging that IMELS has a focal role in the field of integrated coastal zone management, nowadays Italy has neither a coastal Act, nor a dedicated coastal governance body or management Agency. This is also linked to the fact that Italy has signed but not ratified the ICZM Protocol of the Barcelona Convention. This means that to date the Protocol and its principles, which are at the core of the CAMP Project, are not part of the national law, although it has been adopted by the EU and thus part of the EU acquis communautaire. The CAMP Italy includes actions aimed at reducing critical processes (coastal erosion, loss of biodiversity, pollution, etc.), managing natural resources in a sustainable way, and conserving natural habitats and biodiversity. CAMP Italy is structured in 14 Individual Activities (pilot projects) and 4 Horizontal Activities aimed at four goals: Coordination and dissemination of the results; Capacity building; Data collection and management; Institutional coordination and public participation. The chapter describes the Project and the adopted solutions to apply and achieve ICZM at both regional and Italian national level.