“The Italian Society of Environmental Geology and Legambiente of Barletta in order to promote correct management of the beaches, natural habitats and species of flora and fauna present along the coastline, from the beach to the dune belts characterizing the western coast road of Barletta to continue along the Salinelle Road, were promoters of an important request to the local municipal administration, formalized as a memorandum of understanding for the “Restoration and Renaturalization of the Dunari Cordons along the Western Coast Road” (prot. Municipality of Barletta no. 577 of 04/01/2024). Among the auspices of the memorandum of understanding, the proposal to dedicate a portion equal to at least 20% of the width of the beach emerging to the west of the city of Barletta to the restoration and renaturalization of the “Cordoni Dunari” promoting, together with the municipal company responsible for cleaning of the beaches, minimal processing interventions, manual waste collection and the initiation of management forms with a view to an ecological beach, as per the ISPRA guidelines”. This was announced by Antonello Fiore, National President of the Italian Society of Environmental Geology.
A memorandum of understanding to carry out activities in synergy between the municipal administration and environmental protection associations such as: environmental education and scientific dissemination on areas of specific competence; research and monitoring, in collaboration with other associations and research bodies, on the geomorphological, landscape and natural, floristic and faunal aspects of the Barletta beaches and dune systems; dissemination activities on the actions carried out jointly.
“Among the other purposes of the memorandum of understanding: to promote management procedures for beached biomass in compliance with the Guidelines of the Puglia Region; Providing elements of knowledge – continued Fiore – for the operators involved in beach cleaning operations and for users of the coast in general (bathers, horticulturists, seaside beach managers), so that they acquire awareness of the real impact that natural resources and the due to the intense summer use, the coastal environment suffers from mechanized beach cleaning operations (deep ploughing);
– promote activities for the protection, recovery, restoration and enhancement of areas of naturalistic value along the coast, with particular attention to the beaches. The objective is therefore clear, the restoration of the original dunes, as well as the typical vegetation of the dune cordons, elements that seemed to have disappeared along the coast in question as they were attacked by mechanical works with heavy vehicles preparatory to the various bathing seasons as well as to events and mass demonstrations, such as the recent concerts held in 2019 and 2022. Certainly the restoration of the dunes would constitute an effective natural system to combat the effects of climate change on the local sandy coasts and would favor an implementation in the extension of public green areas, as is already taking place in a small experimental area always along the same coast. And finally the memorandum of understanding was approved with resolution of the Municipal Council No. 112 OF 04/23/2024 entitled MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE OBJECT: RESTORATION AND RENATURALIZATION OF THE DUNE BORDERS ALONG THE COASTAL ROAD OF PONENTE BARLETTA BETWEEN THE MUNICIPALITY OF BARLETTA AND LEGAMBIENTE CIRCLE OF BARLETTA THE ITALIAN SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY (SIGEA) APS, repaying the Legambiente and SIGEA-APS associations
of the commitment made in recent months, not to say years, to make citizens understand, during numerous events including in open fields, the importance of managing beaches differently compared to the “normal” one which transforms beaches into fields plowed areas considerably exposed, following the loss of vegetation and aggregating factors such as beached biomass and natural cements, to wind erosion with irreversible loss of the main resource: Sand”.
