Italy and Croatia unite against waste in protected areas

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 16 LUG - The Interreg Wastereduce Project, a joint effort between Italy and Croatia, was introduced at the University of Trieste to reduce environmental waste, particularly in protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, through shared and integrated policies.
    The project's goal is to implement specific actions for monitoring and prevention, ultimately improving the protection and conservation of nature and biodiversity.
    Barbara Sladonja, the project coordinator from the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism in Poreč (Croatia), explained that due to the growing number of visitors in Italy and Croatia, "waste is accumulating uncontrollably in land and protected areas, leading to environmental pollution. Additionally, waste from rivers and coastal tourism often ends up in the Adriatic, posing a threat to the aquatic environment".
    Joint management is crucial to addressing this significant environmental issue and avoiding inefficient unilateral approaches. The project aims to develop, test, and implement a new integrated and participatory approach tailored to the specificities of Natura 2000 protected areas to minimize the harmful effects of waste.
    This two-and-a-half-year green project involves collaboration among research institutes, local administrations, environmental protection and management agencies, non-governmental organizations, and service companies. Eight partners are involved, and the EU funds the project with over 1.6 million euros. (ANSA).