Illegal construction, illicit management of quarries, state concessions: the grip of illegal cement is growing along the Campania coasts. In 2023, there were 1,531 (+21% compared to 2022) crimes ascertained by the police and port authorities, equal to 14.9% of the national total, with 1,710 people reported (+18.6%), 332 criminal seizures (+18%). Administrative offenses increased slightly, 1,970 (there were 1957 in 2022) and the related sanctions (4,302, +22%).
This is what we read in the Legambiente dossier in view of the launch of the “Goletta Verde” and “Goletta dei laghi” campaign. Campania is the main victim of illegal brick and mortar and remains at the top of the regional ranking, followed in second place by Puglia (1,442 crimes, 14.1% of the national total), in third place by Sicily (1,180 crimes, 11.5% ) and Calabria in fourth (1,046 crimes, 10.2% of the total).
In particular, between 2004 and 2022, in Campania the number of demolitions carried out was 13.1% (equal to 3,107) of the 23,635 illegal properties for which demolition was established by the 110 Municipalities that responded in a complete manner to the civic monitoring promoted by Legambiente.
Campania has the “negative” record for the number of ordinances issued in relation to the population: from 2004 to 2022, one case for illegal construction was opened for every 236.6 inhabitants. In light of this, Legambiente returns to ask the Government for immediate responses such as the recognition of full power to the Prefects to demolish the buildings that are not demolished by the Municipalities and the cancellation in the “Save Home” Decree of the so-called “silence-consent”, which opens up the path to new abuses given that no Municipality will ever be able to examine an amnesty procedure within the established 45 days.
“The coasts of Campania – comments Francesca Ferro, regional director of Legambiente – are a heritage of inestimable value, rich in history, beauty and biodiversity, but increasingly usurped by wild brick with constructions that privatize beaches or that arise in the midst of beds of rivers or in areas at hydrogeological risk. The preview data of “Mare Monstrum” shows us the urgency of intervening with legislative measures, as we asked the Government and all the political forces with our amendments to the Salvacasa decree, for us a ” masked amnesty”, as we will also reiterate on board our Green Schooner. At the same time our Schooners will also be an opportunity to propose and promote various policies and virtuous experiences against the climate crisis and for the protection of marine and lake ecosystems, as well as which are strategic for the future of coastal communities, from a social, economic and employment point of view. To turn the spotlight on the issue of building abuses that disfigure coasts and shores, together with those of poor purification, protection of biodiversity and achievement of the objective of 30% of land and sea protected by 2030, renewables, offshore wind, climate crisis, drought and good practices related to sustainable tourism, will be the historic Legambiente campaigns for monitoring the quality of Italian marine and lake waters: “Goletta Verde” 2024, now in its 38th edition and created with the partnership of Anev, Conou, Novamont and Renexia and “Goletta dei Laghi”, now in its 19th edition with the partnership of Conou and Novamont. Both with the media partnership of La Nuova Ecologia.
Goletta Verde will arrive in Campania on July 12th in Procida and on the 15th in Acciaroli in Cilento. The Goletta del Laghi will arrive on 22 July at Lago D’Averno to denounce the critical issues and at the same time promote virtuous examples of management and sustainability.
