National parks and natural areas
Naples and the Amalfi Coast have a rich natural heritage, which can be discovered through splendid views and parks(Villa Comunale, Capodimonte, Virgiliano Park, Botanical Gardens of Naples, Park of the Phlegrean Fields). The territory is also home to two national parks and marine protected areas (Baia and Gaiola parks).
Cilento and Diano Valley National Park: a UNESCO biosphere reserve, it is home to rich ecosystems and a wide variety of flora, including endemic species.
Vesuvius National Park: also a Unesco biosphere reserve, it protects the geological wealth and volcanic ecosystems.
A territory subject to natural risks
The Neapolitan territory is subject to the risks of earthquakes and volcanism. The island ofIschia has thus experienced in 2017 an earthquake, causing two deaths. Vesuvius, whose last eruption was in 1944, threatens the entire Neapolitan agglomeration. Scientific studies conducted in 2017 highlight that the Phlegrean Fields have entered a new cycle and that a major eruption could occur in the future. These volcanoes are among the most closely watched in the world.
The burning issue of waste
The mafia's stranglehold on waste management resulted in the illegal burial and cremation of millions of tons of toxic waste in the fertile lands of Campania between 1993 and 2010. The area, located between Nola, Acerra and Marigliano, is now known as the "triangle of death". The agricultural land, water and air have been contaminated and the rate of cancer is higher than the national average. The municipality elected in 2011 has entered into an agreement with a Dutch company to send and process waste in the Netherlands. It is also trying to develop, despite financial difficulties, a "zero waste" approach.
Faced with ecological and climatic emergencies
The ongoing climate change could have multiple consequences, including the tropicalization of the climate, the disappearance of agricultural land, and the submergence of land. It is estimated that if global warming is not contained to +2°C by the end of the century (compared to the current trajectory of +3.1°C on average according to a UN report of November 2020), Naples could disappear underwater. The greater frequency and violence of extreme events could render part of the land unfit for cultivation, compromising food security and forcing the inhabitants to migrate. Faced with this, civil society is mobilizing, for example during the "Fridays for the future". In 2021, a first in Italy, a trial will be held for maritime plastic pollution, linked to the accidental discharge of a sewage plant in Paestum in 2018, whose plastic discharges were found as far as France and Tunisia. The action of the municipality of Luigi De Magistris in Naples has also focused on protecting the "commons," as evidenced by the remunicipalization of water management after the referendum in 2011.
In praise of the slow journey
Naples and the Amalfi Coast are accessible by train and boat, but also by bicycle, thanks to EuroVelo 7, the Mediterranean cycle route. The destination will also satisfy walkers. The Slowfood movement promotes "clean, fair and good" food. Do not hesitate to meet its members, in order to reconcile the pleasure of taste buds and respect for the living. The agriturismo network groups together organic farms that welcome visitors.
