Natural parks to reconcile wonder and environmental protection
Sicily has four regional parks and many nature reserves, which combine environmental protection and public awareness. The biodiversity is remarkable and the landscapes are beautiful.
Etna Park Nature Reserve: located in the eastern part of the island, it protects Etna, a still active volcano, and the fertile territories surrounding it: forests but also vineyards, olive trees or pistachio trees. It also hosts a great biodiversity of flora and fauna.
Alcantara River Gorge Park: located along the Alcantara River, in the east of the island, it is renowned for its geology and flora. The many trails in the park are excellent ways to marvel and develop your naturalist knowledge.
Parc des Nebrodes : located in the north-east of the island, , it is dedicated to the preservation of a unique territory, made of forests and villages that have been isolated for a long time, where an ancestral pastoral activity still exists. Numerous paths allow you to discover the richness of the park.
Madonie Park : located in the north of the island, between land, sea, mountains and isolated villages. It has a remarkable biodiversity, including endemic species. Of breathtaking beauty, it is part of the Unesco Geopark network and offers spaces dedicated to the dissemination of naturalist knowledge.
Among the other protected areas, we can mention the Zingaro reserve, a wild creek located in the west of the island, which is a magnificent place for excursions.
Actions to fight pollution
A major environmental concern in Sicily is linked to the petrochemical complex on the east coast of the island, one of the densest in Europe. It causes pollution of all natural environments (air, water, soil), mainly due to heavy metals. In the Augusta harbor, the sea is particularly contaminated with mercury, and this pollution would have significant health impacts, which would earn the area the sad nickname of "industrial quadrilateral of death". A local group has acted as an alarm bellwether and a judicial inquiry has been opened to establish responsibility for the pollution and to ensure compliance with regulations. Public awareness campaigns have been initiated, as well as ecological and epidemiological studies. The claims also concern the implementation of sanitation systems.
Another issue in Sicily is pollution from waste and plastics. The Mediterranean, which constitutes 1% of the world's marine waters, concentrates 7% of plastic pollution (source: www.wwf.fr). Most of the pollution is invisible to the naked eye (plastic in the form of nano- and micro-particles) and comes from aqueous effluents. There is also solid plastic detritus on the island, the result of poor waste management. It is possible to act, and this at different scales, by privileging a prevention approach. The best waste is indeed the one we do not produce. The Sicilian Assembly passed a law in 2020 to limit single-use and non-biodegradable plastic, a first in Italy. The idea is also to encourage companies to develop ecological alternatives to plastic. The law foresees reduction targets for administrations and their canteens but also for bathing establishments. On an individual basis, it is possible to launch a zero waste approach. This can be done by avoiding or limiting the purchase of packaging or products containing plastic (including textiles, by reading the labels) and by using devices to trap micro-plastics during the machine washing of our clothes (filters).
Sicily and climate change
A hot-spot for biodiversity, the Mediterranean is also one of the world's hot-spots for climate change, and is expected to warm by an average of 20% faster than the rest of the world. In Sicily, rising temperatures could aggravate extreme phenomena (droughts, floods), increase soil erosion, and lead to water shortages and desertification. Climate change is also causing acidification of the seas, with deleterious effects not only on corals, but also on plankton, an essential link in the food chain. It contributes to the decline in biodiversity and could cast the shadow of food insecurity over Sicily.
The island regularly suffers major droughts, but the last one, in 2024, was particularly worrying. With a water shortage since September 2023, Sicily was placed under a state of emergency as early as May 2024. In August, the inhabitants of the town of Agrigento demonstrated against the lack of water caused by the drought and the poor management of the distribution networks, their slogan "we want water", the vital minimum. In September, the Italian National Research Council declared that 70% of Sicily was now undergoing desertification. Farmers have lost 50% of their wheat crop. Mass tourism is having a major impact on the population's water resources, with the issue becoming increasingly problematic every summer. An aquifer discovered a few months ago 800 meters beneath the town of Ragusa could be the solution to the problem. The NGO Legambiente runs campaigns on the island to preserve biodiversity and combat climate change.
Sicily is easy to reach by train and boat from the mainland, and it's a pleasure to discover the island's treasures on foot or by bike, and to follow the paths of its natural parks. The Slowfood movement promotes approaches to food that are "clean, fair and good". Don't hesitate to meet the members of this network to reconcile the pleasure of taste buds with respect for the living. Theagriturismi network brings together organic farms that welcome visitors.
