IUCN - Expert Workshop on Landscape restorationin the Mediterranean Region

8 - 10 May 2003, Castellabate, ITALY

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

• Carlo Bifulco• Director of Vesuvius National Park• Piazza Municipio 8, I-80040 San Sebastiano al Vesuvio (Napoli) - Italia

• Tel.+39 081 7710912, Fax +39 081 7718215

• email - direttore@parconazionaledelvesuvio.it

• Gino Menegazzi• naturalistic engineering advisor Vesuvius National Park• Via Capaldo 7, I-80128 Napoli - Italia

• Tel.+39 081 5607628, Fax +39 081 5607628

• email - ingmenegazzi@hotmail.com

• Gabriella N.M. Giudici• ecology advisor Vesuvius National Park• Via S.Vitagliano,20 I-80078 Pozzuoli - (Na) - Italia

• Tel.+39 081 5269970, Fax +39 081 5269970

• email – gabriellagiudici@libero.it

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

In Vesuvius National Park an areacharacterized by Mediterraneanconditions, different experimentsconcerning naturalistic engineering,about landscape bioengineeringrestoration, have been performedwith external financial supportamounting to over two million Eurossince 1998. Naturalistic engineeringhas long been recognized in centralEurope but it was not applied ingreater scale in the Mediterraneanregion until now. It was commonlythought that this method ofmanagement and restoration wouldnot be applicable in a region withlong periods of summer aridity.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

After five years of work in the PNVwe can verify that naturalisticengineering is suitable for large-scale application in theMediterranean region and that themethod should be used forrestoration of non-protected areasthat are affected by degradation.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Naturalistic engineering only makesuse of species that are part of thenatural succession in the parkhabitat and can provide ecologicalsuccession. The system can beapplied for hydraulic and roadworks, to secure slopes affected bysoil erosion, and for environmentalrecovery as well as landscaperestoration. The plant materialsemployed, such as trees, shrubsand herbaceous species, or theirphysical components such as theirroots, wood and rhizomes, havebeen used as a building “structure”to restore and protect the steepslopes and the river banks.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Naturalistic engineering literallytranslate the Italian terminologyIngegneria Naturalistica, named inthe other European countryIngenieurbiologie, Genie Biologique,Ingenieria del Paisaje, EngenhariaBiofisica, Soil Bioengineering, andstudied, in between others, in theWien (Austria) and Évora (Portugal)universities.

The intervention that naturalisticengineering technique can performon the terrain is one of the existingmethods to preserve the availableresources.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Finally, naturalistic engineeringis not an exterior intervention tohide the bad results in thetraditional way of building,where environmental aspectswere not sufficiently taken intoaccount. On the contrary it is acomplex and autonomoustechnological method that willallow environmental restoration.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

The positive experiences of thenational park have encouraged theregional administration to developlegal instruments in support ofnaturalistic engineering. The regionalauthority has laid down guidelines fordifferent categories of works, contractspecifications and indicative pricesrequired by professionals andadministrators dealing with naturalisticrestoration and management systems.With decree PGR 22/7/2002 n°574,the Campania Region established arule to lay down criteria formanagement interventions in landprotection. The rules were based onthe techniques of naturalisticengineering with the purpose ofreducing the negative impact of theworks.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Presently the National Park isrestoring an abandonedMediterranean forest affected byfire. The interventions aim to reducethe landslide risk, to protect soilfrom surface erosion, to reduce therisk of recurrent fire and to stimulatethe spontaneous regeneration of adiversified forest cover.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

The National Park did not forget its role as an innovator, alwaystrying to contribute to the general development. We are awarethat the application of these new techniques is increasing outsidenatural areas, where the degradation of the environment isprobably more serious than in a park.

Vesuvius National Park has opened opportunities for applicationof these techniques to establish ecological corridors that spanacross landscapes, re-establishing natural features. The VesuviusNational Park can link with the Partenio’s regional park, with thePicentini’s regional parks and consequently with the system of theItalian Apennine parks, and in this way address problems relatedto urban sprawl - also by improving urban centres that aredegraded by abuse or neglect.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

The community programINTERREG offers theopportunity for internationalcooperation projects within thiscontext. Some of the ongoingprojects (DESERTNET,RECOFORME, VOLCANPROTEGÉ, RESEAU DESPARCS) are already in anadvanced state ofimplementation in theMediterranean area, and theyoffer many experiences that canbe mutually exchanged andprovide inspiration.

NATURALISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:EXPERIENCES FROM MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS