Report on Italian coasts and the threat of concrete

Italy’s coasts (about 7,500 km) are the part of the country that has undergone the most drastic transformations over the past 50 years. Today, 51% of Italy’s coastal landscapes (around 3,300 km) have been transformed and degraded by houses, hotels, buildings, ports, and industries. Across the country, including the islands, only 1,860 km of coastline (23%) in stretches longer than 5 km can still be considered to retain a good degree of naturalness. 

Industrial facilities, urban sprawl, tourist infrastructure, deforestation, and the leveling of coastal dunes have almost entirely reshaped the profile of our shoreline. On top of these direct impacts, beach erosion—a natural phenomenon made worse by human activity—has taken its toll. Meanwhile, climate change, plastic pollution, invasive species, indiscriminate anchoring, and overfishing are degrading marine ecosystems. 

And yet, healthy coastal ecosystems play a crucial role in the context of climate change: Posidonia oceanica meadows reduce the force of waves, mitigating the impact of storm surges, trapping sediments and thus countering erosion. They are also vital carbon sinks. 

This is the warning launched by WWF in the report “Coasts Dossier: Italy’s Fragile Profile”, presented on World Oceans Day 2022.