General Emilio Errigo, Extraordinary Commissioner for the reclamation of the SIN Crotone, outlines – through a long press release – an optimistic vision for the economic and social relaunch of Crotone and Saline Joniche, two former industrial areas in Calabria.
“The true economic and social development of Southern Italy will start from Crotone, from its territory and sea!” says Errigo. The environmental reclamation and redevelopment works, already partly financed and planned, are crucial for the future of the region. These interventions include the remediation of contaminated areas, the redevelopment of groundwater, the securing of port sediments and the improvement of infrastructure. The objective is to transform these areas into centers of productive strength, promoting economic development and creating new job opportunities.
Errigo underlines that Crotone, with its history and strategic position, has the potential to become a center of productive strength and well-being for the South. The city, now degraded, can be enhanced thanks to the joint efforts of the State and the multinationals that own the areas. Similarly, Saline Joniche, with its abandoned infrastructure, requires urgent interventions for remediation and regeneration. The Officine Grandi Riparazioni and the industrial port of Saline Joniche, today unused and in a state of abandonment, represent an example of how poor management can damage the territory. However, these structures can be reclaimed and redeveloped to promote economic development.
Commissioner Errigo highlights that the economic growth of the two areas will be intense and that, with the right support, they will be able to compete on an international level. Energy resources, biodiversity and improved infrastructures will make Crotone an economic reality ready for the Euro-Mediterranean market by 2030. The city, located in an environmental context that is currently degraded but recoverable, can benefit from renewable and non-renewable resources, road networks sustainable intermodal transport, and growing port and backport accommodation capacities. Furthermore, the presence of the Marine Protected Area of Isola Capo Rizzuto, one of the largest and richest in biodiversity in Europe, represents a further strong point.
For Errigo, it is essential to believe in the potential of these areas and work together for a better future. The administrative actions necessary for the reclamation and repair of environmental damage are in an advanced state of resolution thanks to the will of the State and the Government, which have tried to encourage the union of intentions of the industrial and entrepreneurial economic forces. With the collaboration of all the institutions involved, it is possible to create the conditions for a long-lasting and sustainable economic recovery.
