Cagliari, Cagliari (FUA), Italy
City population: 384743
Duration: 2022 – 2024
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Sea coast (e.g. dunes, beach)
Last updated: October 2024

The project at Poetto Beach in Cagliari, Italy, implemented by the municipality of Cagliari, began in 2022. It focuses on protecting and restoring the dune system while raising public awareness about the importance of preserving the coastal ecosystem. The project recognizes the delicate balance between environmental preservation and public enjoyment of Poetto Beach. Key activities include installing barriers and signs to prevent trampling and littering, modifying beach access points to reduce erosion, and implementing significant interventions to restore the beach. These interventions involve strengthening anti-erosion measures with dune confinement and sand retention systems, as well as creating natural barriers (natural repopulation of native plants ) to protect the seashore. Public education initiatives aim to encourage responsible beach use and enhance understanding of the dunes' fragility. Additionally, new access walkways will be installed, and existing ones will be improved, including the creation of four wheelchair-accessible pathways to the water, designed for easy entry. This comprehensive plan for protecting and enhancing Poetto's environmental resources is valued at €945,000 and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Overall, the goal is to enhance environmental quality, promote sustainable beach use, and prevent both natural and economic losses. By balancing enjoyment of Poetto's natural resources with their protection, the project aims to ensure the long-term preservation of this valuable coastal area (Ref. 1, 2 & 4).

Photo of one of the signs used to educate the citizens and keep them away from the protected areas of the beach.
Photo of one of the signs used to educate the citizens and keep them away from the protected areas of the beach.
Comune di Cagliari. n.d. “Riqualificazione Delle Dune E Delle Risorse Ambientali Del Poetto.” Comune Di Cagliari. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/riqualificazione_delle_dune_e_delle_risorse_ambientali_del_poetto?contentId=FPR167502.

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Coastlines

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
  • Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
  • Environmental quality
  • Waste management
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social justice and equity
  • Environmental education

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Climate-Related Hazards
  • Coastal flooding
  • Coastal hazards (e.g. erosion, flooding)
  • Sea level rise
  • Environmental Degradation
  • Soil degradation and loss
  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Economic losses due to disasters and environmental degradation

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community

Focus

Coastal landscape management or protection, Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows), Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems), Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs

Project objectives

To protect and restore the coastal dune system while promoting greater awareness and preservation of the area’s natural environment by preventing people from stepping on the dunes, which can cause erosion and inappropriate waste dumping in the area. To prevent erosion caused by changes in water levels and precipitations and ensure the beach's long-term sustainability by implementing measures such as installing barriers, modifying beach access points, and creating natural barriers (natural repopulation of native plants ) To improve accessibility and inclusivity by building pathways for wheelchair users and establishing designated smoking areas, ensuring that all visitors can enjoy the beach To balance the enjoyment of Poetto beach’s natural resources with the protection of its habitat. To prevent environmental degradation and economic losses, ensuring the long-term preservation and enjoyment of this important coastal area by safeguarding the dunes and educating the public (Ref. 1, 2 & 4)

Implementation activities

To specifically address the dunes parallel to the seafront, the following measures have been implemented: Morphological re-profiling of the existing loose sand. Installation of a palisade using vertical wooden stakes fixed at the base of the dune, along with wicker or straw rods. This creates a space for the progressive capture of sand, serving as a trap for sand, seeds, and organic matter, which helps recreate the dune profile, encourages vegetation, and stabilizes the surface. Construction of local transverse brushes made from wicker or straw, woven with obliquely fixed wooden stakes. Use of live fascinations with African Tamarix rods to consolidate the back dune and create a long-term vegetative barrier against pedestrian access. Planting of rhizomes and tufts of wild dune species, including Elymus farctus, Medicago marina, Silene colorata, Verbascum niveum subsp. garganicum, and Euphorbia terracina. Additionally, the project has raised public awareness about the importance of dune preservation through educational programs and campaigns by installing bilingual Italian/English warning signs at each restricted dune regeneration area. The signs clearly state that transit is prohibited and include a central QR code that links to a webpage with scientific and practical information, helping to raise public awareness about the fragility of the ecosystem. Inclusivity was prioritized by planning accessible pathways for wheelchair users. (Ref. 1,2,3,4)

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
  • Restore sediment supply to coastal zone
  • Protect and restore coastal ecosystems, to address loss of land and livelihoods, due to rising sea levels

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Main beneficiaries

  • Private sector/Corporate/Company
  • Citizens or community groups
  • Marginalized groups: People with functional diversities

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

- Comune di Cagliari: it is leading the project alongside a private actor that has won the tender to implement the project. The project is funded by the local municipality of Cagliari (through one of its programs called PON Metro), the Italian government (through Fondo per lo Sviluppo e la Coesione (FSC), the Italian government's main instrument for financing and implementing policies to reduce economic and social imbalances on the national territory) and the EU. (Ref. 1, 2 & 4).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The project has been developed as part of the Cagliari strategy within the PON metro program. The PON Metro is a strategic tool designed to address social, environmental, and economic sustainability challenges in urban areas. This program aims to improve the quality of services provided by local administrations and to promote social inclusion by tailoring interventions to the specific needs of each territory. The key areas of intervention include the metropolitan digital agenda, the sustainability of public services and urban mobility, social inclusion services, and infrastructure for social inclusion (Ref. 10).)

Type of enablers

Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Support from transitional governance actors, Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • Public national budget
  • EU funds

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
  • Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
  • Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
  • Expected enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved waste management
  • Expected improved waste management
  • Improved soil quality
  • Expected improved soil quality
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased presence and recovery of wild species
  • Expected increased presence and recovery of wild species

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Expected improved liveability
  • Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
  • Expected increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of natural heritage
  • Expected protection of natural heritage
  • Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
  • Expected increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
  • Education
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
  • Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
Comune di Cagliari (n.d.). Riqualificazione delle dune e delle risorse ambientali del Poetto. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Ansa (2022). Al via lavori per la riqualificazione del Poetto a Quartu. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Comune di Quartu Sant'Elena (2022). NUOVO LUNGOMARE POETTO, AGGIUDICATA LA GARA PER IL PRIMO LOTTO, AL VIA I LAVORI. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Comune di Cagliari (n.d.). Progetto Esecutivo. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Comune di Cagliari (n.d.). Avviso di aggiudicazione di appalto. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Agenzia per La Coesione Territoriale (n.d.). I Patti per lo Sviluppo. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Città Metropolitana di Cagliari (2016). Patto Città Metropolitana di Cagliari. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Agenzia per la Coesione territoriale (n.d.). Fondo Sviluppo e Coesione. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Italian Government (2021). PNRR: rivoluzione verde e transizione ecologica. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Metro Plus e Città Medie Sud (n.d.). Città Metro Plus. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
11.
Comune di Cagliari (2022). Atlante Demografico di Cagliari 2022. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
Photo of the implementation of the protection sites to protect the beach from the waves' erosion.
Photo of the implementation of the protection sites to protect the beach from the waves' erosion.
Comune di Cagliari. n.d. “Riqualificazione Delle Dune E Delle Risorse Ambientali Del Poetto.” Comune Di Cagliari. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/riqualificazione_delle_dune_e_delle_risorse_ambientali_del_poetto?contentId=FPR167502.
Photo of the implementation of the protection sites to protect the beach from the waves' erosion.
Photo of the implementation of the protection sites to protect the beach from the waves' erosion.
Comune di Cagliari. n.d. “Riqualificazione Delle Dune E Delle Risorse Ambientali Del Poetto.” Comune Di Cagliari. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.comune.cagliari.it/portale/page/it/riqualificazione_delle_dune_e_delle_risorse_ambientali_del_poetto?contentId=FPR167502.
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.