Pietro PIANA, Università di Genova, Italy
Lorenzo BROCADA, Università di Sassari, Italy
Rebekka DOSSCHE , Università di Genova, Italy
Stefania MANGANO, Università di Genova, Italy
Eleonora PANIZZA, Università di Genova, Italy
Antonella PRIMI, Università di Genova, Italy
Mauro SPOTORNO, Università di Genova, Italy
Due to their geographical marginality and remoteness, small islands are considered particularly vulnerable from a social, economical and environmental point of view (Ratter, 2018; Malatesta, 2021). At the same time, they are increasingly acknowledged as spaces of resilience in an increasingly globalized world. This is particularly true for highly anthropized and industrial areas such as the northern Mediterranean. In the Region of Liguria (northwestern Italy) there are four islands, all of which considerably small in size and located very near the coast: Gallinara and Bergeggi (Savona Province) and Palmaria and Tino (La Spezia Province). Due to the difficulties to access them, little research was carried out in the past by geographers and landscape historians, except for some studies on natural sciences, geology and geomorphology (Brandolini et al., 2009; Rovere et al., 2010).
Using current and historical data, this contribution develops a geographical overview of Ligurian islands concerning their historical, landscape and socio-economic aspects, with a focus on current landscape management policies and the recent debate arisen around their enhancement and public accessibility for tourism purposes This debate is part of a dilemma that more generally concerns the way in which landscapes of marginal and fragile areas could either be actively or passively protected: if from the one side active management aimed at economic development might mean loss of traditional, historical landscapes, from the other side strict landscape and nature conservation raises issues of economic sustainability due to lack of profitability and incomes (Vallega, 1999). By carrying out an analysis of Ligurian islands, this work aims at providing insights and reflections into sustainable landscape planning and protection of small islands in highly industrialized and urbanized areas around the world.
Mots clés : Small islands|Mediterranean Sea|Landscape|Protected areas|Sustainable management
A104794LB