Counteracting the effects of climate change on the sandy shores: a visit to Corsica by Roberta Croce, research team member of the Interreg AMMIRARE project, to learn about[...]

Counteracting the effects of climate change on the sandy shores: a visit to Corsica by Roberta Croce, research team member of the Interreg AMMIRARE project, to learn about environmental, social and economic issues at one of the 'pilot sites'

To understand what the main environmental problems related to the coastline are, to deepen how these affect and are perceived by the social and economicactors around them, by coming into contact, in Corsica, with one of the 'pilot sites' of the Interreg AMMIRARE project. The project is coordinated by the Sant'Anna School and aims to improve the resilience of beaches to the effects of climate change through nature-based solutions. This was the aim of the visit by Roberta Croce, a member of the research team of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sustainability and Climate of the Sant'Anna School, who in September visited the Cap Corse and Agriate Natural Marine Park, set up in 2016 in Corsica by the Office Français de la Biodiversité, one of the 15 partners of the Interreg AMMIRARE project. During her visit, Roberta Croce was able to talk to representatives of the two Corsican partners, the Office Français de la Biodiversité and the Office de l'Environnement de la Corse, and interview other local stakeholders.

The component of the research team of the Sant'Anna School, within the Interreg AMMIRARE project; focuses on joint actions for the involvement of local stakeholders in order to increase their awareness, consciousness and skills on the theme of 'nature-based solutions' as tools to maintain the beach ecosystem, such as its function to countercoastal erosion or to maintain biodiversity.

The beaches of the Cap Corse and Agriate Marine Nature Park are located in a natural conservation area with little infrastructure and where little work is done on the beaches, precisely to keep the area as natural as possible. During the visit, Roberta Croce was able to observe the park's beaches on board the Office Français de la Biodiversité's boat, to understand the impact of anchoring on the submerged posidonia meadows. A mayor and representatives of the hospitality trade union and environmental associations were also interviewed. The interviews revealed that one of the main problems is the significant presence of beached posidonia on some beaches. This presence discourages tourists from visiting the beach and therefore has a negative impact on some local economic activities, such as bars and restaurants. However, posidonia is considered a protected plant under French law for its important ecosystem function, even if it is beached, so it cannot be removed. Another issue that has emerged is the strong seasonality of tourism on the Park's beaches, with the majority of presences concentrated between July and August. This concentration causesintense use of the ecosystem, jeopardising its conservation status, but it is also a sign of an entrenched pattern of tourism, a trend that is difficult - at the moment - to reverse.

The visit proved to be a fundamental experience in understanding the environmental and socioeconomiccomplexities of the beaches of the Cap Corse and Agriate Marine Nature Park, such as the absence of bathing establishments and the naturalness of the beaches. This knowledge will facilitate the research group of the Sant'Anna School in developing initiatives to educate, involve the population and increase the awareness and cooperation of all local actors. Now the research group of the Sant'Anna School will be able to share the results of this and other visits to develop new initiatives aimed at socio-economic actors.

Cover photo: Roberta Croce (second from right) during her visit to Corsica for the Interreg AMMIRARE project.