Descrizione 1
Sabrina Agnesi, Susanna D’Antoni, Stefania Ercole, Silvia Properzi
The European Commission has adopted the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (SEB 2030, COM(2020) 380 final), which sets the objective for Member States to protect at least 30% of their national territory and 30% of their seas, with at least one-third of these areas being strictly protected. These objectives are also incorporated into the National Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (SNB 2030).
The indicator integrates spatial data from the main biodiversity protection systems existing in Italy (protected areas and the Natura 2000 Network), calculating the current protected surface both on land and at sea. It evaluates the variation from 1991 to 2023 and highlights the gap between the percentage of protected land and marine areas and the 30% target set by SEB 2030. The data used to calculate the extent of the protected area come from CDDA and the Natura 2000 database. Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) are not included, as the types of areas that may fall within this category have not yet been defined.
As of today, the total national coverage of protected areas, after accounting for overlaps between protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, is approximately 4,068,476 hectares at sea, equivalent to 11.62% of Italian territorial waters and the Ecological Protection Zone (ZPE), and about 6,532,341 hectares on land, covering 21.68% of the national territory. The extent of overlapping areas, i.e., those falling within both a protected area and a Natura 2000 site, has increased over time, reaching 862,631 hectares at sea and 2,447,046 hectares on land in 2023. The trends indicate that the percentage of protected national surface has stabilized since 2006 for marine areas and since 2011 for land areas. To meet the 30% target set by SEB 2030, an additional 18% of marine areas (approximately 6,600,000 hectares) and 8% of land areas (approximately 2,500,000 hectares) still need to be protected.
This is a response indicator that analyzes the extent of protected land and marine areas in Italy concerning the strategic objectives for biodiversity conservation set for 2030 at both the European (SEB 2030) and national (SNB 2030) levels. The indicator considers protected areas included in the Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA), the European database of protected areas designated at the national level, as well as Natura 2000 sites, which include Sites of Community Importance/Special Areas of Conservation (SCI/SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA). Specifically, the indicator calculates the surface area and percentage of land and marine protection, both separately for CDDA and Natura 2000 and after accounting for overlaps between the two types of protected sites. Data is presented every five years from 1991 to 2021. From the latest update, annual calculations are performed to track progress toward the 2030 biodiversity strategy goals. For marine surface area calculations, territorial waters and the Ecological Protection Zone (ZPE) are considered.
The Natura 2000 database includes SCI/SAC and SPA designated under the Habitats and Birds Directives, while the CDDA includes areas listed in the Official List of Protected Areas (EUAP, VI Update, 2010) along with additional national protected areas established from 2010 to the present, such as:
Pantelleria Island National Park
Tresero-Dosso del Vallon State Nature Reserve
Capo Testa - Punta Falcone Marine Protected Area
Capo Milazzo Marine Protected Area
Portofino National Park
Additionally, the Val Grande National Park has been expanded.
In the future, OECMs (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures) could also be considered in national surface calculations. These geographically defined areas are not strictly protected areas but are managed to ensure effective, long-term in situ biodiversity conservation (IUCN-WCPA, 2017). However, the assessment of which areas should fall under the OECM category is still ongoing, so they are not included in the current analysis.
Within the Indicator Database, there are also separate indicators for the Natura 2000 Network alone and for terrestrial and marine protected areas.
To quantify the percentage of land and marine surface covered by protected areas, accounting for spatial overlaps between protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, and to assess changes over time, highlighting the gap to the SEB 2030 target of 30% protected surface relative to national territory.
Birds Directive 79/409/EEC (later repealed and fully replaced by 2009/147/EC, maintaining its fundamental objectives), transposed into Italian law by Law No. 157 of 11/02/1992
Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC, transposed into Italian law by Presidential Decree 357/97, amended and integrated by Presidential Decree 120/2003
Law 979/82 (Provisions for the Protection of the Sea)
Law 127/85 (Ratification and implementation of the Protocol on Specially Protected Areas of the Mediterranean)
Framework Law on Protected Areas (L 394/91) and subsequent amendments
EUAP, VI Update (Ministerial Decree 27.04.2010, Official Gazette No. 125 of 31.05.2010)
Ministerial Decree 02/12/2010, establishing the “Tresero-Dosso del Vallon” State Nature Reserve
Presidential Decree 28/07/2016, establishing the “Pantelleria Island” National Park and its managing authority
Ministerial Decree 17/05/2018, No. 102, establishing the Capo Testa - Punta Falcone Marine Protected Area
Ministerial Decree 26/11/2018, No. 153, approving the regulation for the Capo Milazzo Marine Protected Area
Ministerial Decree 10/10/2023, No. 331, establishing the Portofino National Park
Presidential Decree 18/07/2023, expanding the Val Grande National Park
Establishment of the Ecological Protection Zone of the Northwestern Mediterranean, Ligurian Sea, and Tyrrhenian Sea under Law No. 61 of 08/02/2006
Ministerial Decree No. 252 of 03/08/2022, adopting the National Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
Descrizione 2
Agnesi S., Annunziatellis A., Chaniotis P., Mo G., Korpinen S., Snoj L., Tunesi L., Reker J., 2020. Spatial Analysis of Marine Protected Area Networks in Europe’s Seas III. ETC/ICM Technical Report 3/2020. https://www.eionet.europa.eu/etcs/etc-icm/products/etc-icm-report-3-2020-spatial-analysis-of-marine-protected-area-networks-in-europe2019s-seas-iii
Agnesi S., Mo G., Annunziatellis A., Chaniotis P., Korpinen S., Snoj L., Globevnik L., Tunesi L., Reker J., 2017. Spatial Analysis of Marine Protected Area Networks in Europe’s Seas II, Vol. A, 2017, ed. Künitzer A., ETC/ICM Technical Report 4/2017, Magdeburg: European Topic Centre on inland, coastal and marine waters, 41 pp. https://www.eionet.europa.eu/etcs/etc-icm/products/etc-icm-reports/spatial-analysis-of-marine-protected-area-networks-in-europe2019s-seas-ii-volume-a-2017
CE, 2020. Strategia dell'UE sulla biodiversità per il 2030. Riportare la natura nella nostra vita. Bruxelles, 20.5.2020, COM(2020) 380 final. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0380&from=EN
D’Antoni S., 2022. Aree protette, un pilastro della conservazione. ECOSCIENZA Numero 2 Anno 2022.
EEA, 2015. Spatial analysis of Marine Protected Area Networks in Europe´s seas. EEA Technical report, 17/2015. http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/spatial-analysis-of-marine-protected
IUCN-WCPA Task Force on OECMs, 2019. Recognising and reporting other effective area-based conservation measures. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. ISBN: 978-2-8317-2025-8 (PDF). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2019.PATRS.3.en
MiTE, 2022. Strategia Nazionale per la Biodiversità al 2030. Testo consolidato. Ministero della Transizione Ecologica(MiTE), Direzione Generale Patrimonio Naturalistico e Mare, Divisione III - Strategie della Biodiversità, 25 luglio 2022.
Data processing is done from the most updated versions of the CDDA and Natura2000 database provided by Italy to the European Commission (reference year 2023). Limitations include that the Official List of Protected Areas (EUAP) has not been updated since 2010. The figure for protected areas included in EUAP has been updated with regard to protected areas established at the national level (National Parks, State Nature Reserves, Marine Protected Areas), while for regional areas we have to wait for the approval of the new EUAP.
For defining changes in protected area, the calculation of areas was carried out at 5-year intervals (1991 to 2021), selecting the protected areas designated in each time interval according to the year of the act of designation. However, any subsequent acts relating to changes in the perimeter of the individual protected site are not discernible in this procedure. Therefore, if a site has undergone an expansion or reduction in area over the years, this specific change is not detected.
Updating EUAP. Data entry of OECMs. Analysis of protected areas at region/autonomous province scale. Calculation of percentages of strictly protected areas.
Qualificazione dati
Official List of Protected Areas (EUAP, 2010) published in the Official Journal
Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA) published on the website of the European Environment Agency (https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/nationally-designated-areas-national-cdda-17)
Natura2000 Database published on the website of the MASE https://www.mase.gov.it/pagina/sic-zsc-e-zps-italia
National
1991-2023
Qualificazione indicatore
The data used comes from two official databases produced by MASE: the Natura 2000 database and the EUAP VI update (published in 2010), integrated with newly established national protected areas (terrestrial and marine) after 2010. The updated EUAP data is incorporated into the Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA), transmitted annually by ISPRA to the European Environment Agency (EEA). OECMs are not yet included due to the lack of national definitions.
For Natura 2000 sites, the most recent transmission to the European Commission (December 2023) was used, while for CDDA, the March 2024 transmission of 2023 data was considered. Both spatial and tabular data (shape files and associated tables) were used, with all cartographic data projected in the ETRS89/LAEA coordinate system.
Despite progress since 1991, a gap remains to reach SEB 2030 goals: 18% of marine areas (6,500,000 hectares) and 8% of land areas (2,500,000 hectares) still need protection, requiring a complex process involving MASE, regional governments, and autonomous provinces.
The overall trend is stable, with marine protection stabilizing at 10.33% since 2006, rising slightly to 11.62% in 2023. Terrestrial protection has been stable at 21.57% since 2011, with a small increase to 21.68% in 2023.
Dati
Tabella 1: Superfici in ettari e percentuale del territorio nazionale marino e terrestre protetto dai Siti Natura 2000 (agg. 2023) e dalle Aree protette incluse nel CDDA (agg. 2023)
Elaborazione ISPRA su dati MASE
Figura 1: Superfici marine all'interno delle Acque Territoriali e della ZPE protette dai Siti Natura2000 (agg. 2023) e dalle aree protette incluse nel CDDA (agg. 2023) e loro sovrapposizione
Elaborazione ISPRA su dati MASE
Figura 2: Superfici terrestri protette dai Siti Natura 2000 (agg. 2023) e dalle aree protette incluse nel CDDA (agg. 2023) e loro sovrapposizione
Elaborazione ISPRA su dati MASE
Figura 3: Percenuate di terriotrio protetto a terra e a mare al netto delle sovrapposizioni e percentuale prevista dal target della Strategia Europea per la Biodiversità al 2030
Elaborazione ISPRA su dati MASE
Le superfici marine protette sono calcolate all'interno delle Acque Territoriali e della ZPE italiane
The presented data indicate that, as of today, the national coverage of protected areas, net of overlaps between protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, amounts to approximately 4,068,476 hectares at sea, corresponding to 11.62% of Italian territorial waters and Special Protection Areas (ZPE), and approximately 6,532,341 hectares on land, equivalent to 21.68% of the Italian territory (Table 1). These percentages are still far from the SEB target of 30% (Figure 3). Analyzing the data, it emerges that the extent of overlapping areas has progressively increased over time, reaching 862,631 hectares at sea and 2,447,046 hectares on land in 2023 (Figures 1 and 2, Table 1).
The temporal variation in marine protection (Figure 1) shows a steady increase in the surface area of Natura 2000 sites at sea, particularly evident in the last five years, during which this area has almost doubled (from 1,296,715 hectares in 2016 to 2,306,752 hectares in 2023). Meanwhile, the surface area of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) has remained almost unchanged since 2001, despite the establishment of two new MPAs in the last five years (Capo Testa - Punta Falcone, Capo Milazzo), which had little impact on the overall protected area, increasing only slightly from 2,624,326 to 2,625,081 hectares (Table 1). It should be noted that the overlap between the two types of sites has grown in the last five years solely due to an increase in the number of Natura 2000 sites.
Regarding terrestrial protected areas (Figure 2), their total surface area has remained almost unchanged since 2006 for both Natura 2000 sites and protected areas, except for the establishment of the Tresero-Dosso del Vallon State Nature Reserve in 2010 and the Pantelleria National Park in 2016. These additions did not significantly affect the overall surface area, which increased only slightly from 3,028,788 hectares in 2006 to 3,142,509 hectares in 2023 (Table 1). The establishment of the Portofino National Park in 2023 did not lead to an increase in the surface area of CDDA, as its perimeter coincides with that of the former regional park, which no longer exists. At the regional level, no updates have been made to the EUAP since 2010; therefore, as of today, it is not possible to assess any potential increases in surface area.