New challenges for Integrated Coastal Management: The case of Apulia Region in Italy

Coastal areas, recognized as the preferred sites for urbanization, are facing huge challenges, such as tackling the issue of coastal risks exacerbated by climate change. Apulia Region (Southern Italy), with a coastline of 865 km, is one of the severest Italian areas affected by coastal erosion and flooding with huge related economic impacts on traditional maritime activities as well as other sectors, namely tourism and agriculture. The complexity of these socioeconomic and environmental problems requires articulated answers (technical, normative, economic, social, cultural, management). In order to improve protection, management and planning of coastal zones, Apulia Region approved some policy tools. On the one hand, the Law for the protection and use of the coast and the Regional Coastal Plan (RCP) are first efforts to regulate the use of coastal areas in relation to coastal erosion and flooding. They introduce Municipal Coastal Plans, which should carry out detailed studies and enforce rules for protection and use of the maritime domain. But the gap between the rules introduced by the law and the RCP and reality makes it difficult to approve these plans. On the other hand, the Regional Landscape-Territory Plan adopts an approach that emphasizes the integrated protection and improvement of coastal landscapes. It aims to give the coast more depth by creating synergy with inland areas, halt land take, and assure the general public enjoyment of coastal areas. Basing on a case study in Margherita di Savoia (Apulia Region), the paper highlights the necessity to shift from the regulatory approach to planning to a strategic approach that integrates different complementary policy tools, as well as different expert and experiential knowledge. This approach should focus on rising collective awareness of problems and needs and defining lines of actions to pursue a more sustainable and fair coastal management.