Nicolina del Bianco
Director of service protection and enhancement of the mountain and forests, biodiversity and sustainable development.
Molise Region, Italy.
Molise Region, Italy.
Q: Why has the Regione Molise decided to promote this project?
NdB: The Regional Operational Programme ERDF/ESF 2014-2020 foresees some specific objectives aimed to the protection, exploitation and enhancement of areas of natural attraction of strategic importance (protected terrestrial and marine areas, protected landscapes) that will reinforce and promote the territorial development process.
The main reason for participation in IMPACT project is the need to increase the effectiveness and success of the interventions aimed at the achievement of the above mentioned objectives. The policy instrument needs to be improved in order to enhance the strategic importance of these areas of natural value.
Q: What is the role of the Regione Molise in the IMPACT project? What is your biggest challenge?
NdB: The Molise Region, like the other project partners, has the task of identifying successful cases in managing, enhancing and preserving protected areas by sharing such experiences with partner projects through the involvement of key local development actors. The managing bodies in charge of protection and development will be able to exchange with their European counterparts their views about environmental policies. The biggest challenges consist in the achievement of better results in the management of the areas through new guidelines and improved governance and the creation of new employment opportunities through increased tourism flows.
Q: What have you learned so far?
NdB: We have learned that the comparison of experiences with other European realities can provide useful ideas for identifying new forms of intervention in the territory that take into account various aspects (social, economic, environmental) capable of achieving development goals and better utilisation of public resources, as well as able to motivate and value the experiences and capabilities of the local population.
Q: How does the local population benefit from this project? How is the population informed?
NdB: It is too early to evaluate the effects on the local population; we will have to wait for the implementation of the action plan. The Molise Region widely spreads the project activities through the European Territorial Cooperation website, through press releases related to organised events, through the realisation of project events in different locations in the region, in order to involve as much as possible the local population ensuring a greater extent to project’s events and activities. The regional population is also informed through the involvement in project’s activities of associations active in fields related to project’s issues and municipalities involved in the management of protected areas.
