Proterina-C

Proterina-C: a three-year cross-border maritime Italy - France project led by the Liguria Region, which aims to improve protection against forest fire risks close to the urban area and hydrogeological risks of the territories.

Among the different activities of the project, in Proterina C there is a phase related to the identification of pilot actions for the improvement of the territories at risk in the proximity of vulnerable exposed areas of strategic importance in the regions of Liguria, Sardinia and Corsica. Its objective is to test sustainable land use practices in order to requalify territories at risk, also through the definition of guidelines for the use of these practices as tools for risk prevention and mitigation. In particular within the Ligurian territory is planned the implementation of four pilot projects.

The Ligurian pilot projects address four issues considered as priorities for risk mitigation in our region:

• the integrated and participatory management of protection, prevention and intervention;
• the recovery of the use of the prescribed fire, i.e. controlled fires to clean and mitigate the risk in vegetated areas and for the renewal of pastures;
• the development of sustainable prevention practices by small local communities typical of the Ligurian mountain environment (Andagna, a hamlet of Molini di Triora);
• the integration of emergency plans with the management plans of perurban green areas at high fire risk in the interface areas, to be implemented in Genoa.

Proterina-C Proterina-C benefits from a scientific and technical component thanks to the Provincial Commands of Imperia and Savona of the State Forestry Corps, the Civil Protection and Forest Fire Fighting Volunteers, the Cima Foundation & International Environmental Monitoring Centre and the Department of Anthropological Sciences of the University of Genoa. The projects involve the Province of Savona (former community of Giovo), the Province of Imperia and in particular the municipalities of Imperia in the pasture areas of Monte Faudo and Guardiabella, between Rezzo, Pietrabruna, Borgomaro, Dolcedo, Aurigo and Pieve di Teco, the municipality of Molini di Triora and the municipality of Genoa.

The project is perfectly integrated with the policies of sustainable management of the territory as it is mainly aimed at preventing risk situations, also through the collaboration with local authorities, citizens and volunteers of the Civil Protection and Forest Firefighting.

The concept of territory vulnerability to forest fires and the consequent risk is extremely important in order to use resources and equipment in the most appropriate way to mitigate the risk and to actively fight them.

Vulnerability is to be understood as a "weakness" of the structures/infrastructure/environment present in the territory towards a calamitous/incidental event and its consequences. Very important from this point of view is the recovery of abandoned cultivations as these areas are often connection/interface zones between inhabited centers and wooded areas, both to be protected in order to safeguard the safety of people and the environment.