Downscaling Climate Change Impacts, Socio-Economic Implications and Alternative Adaptation Pathways for Islands and Outermost Regions

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the future scenarios of climate change and management concerns associated with climate change impacts on the blue economy of European islands and outermost regions. The publication collects major findings of the SOCLIMPACT project’s research outcomes, aiming to raise social awareness among policy-makers and industry about climate change consequences at local level, and provide knowledge-based information to support policy design, from local to national level. This comprehensive book will also assist students, scholars and practitioners to understand, conceptualize and effectively and responsibly manage climate change information and applied research. This book provides invaluable material for Blue Growth Management, theory and application, at all levels. This first edition includes up-to-date data, statistics, references, case material and figures of the 12 islands case studies. ¨Downscaling climate change impacts, socio-economic implications and alternative adaptation pathways for Islands and Outermost Regions¨ is a must-read book, given the accessible style and breadth and depth with which the topic is dealt. The book is an up-to-date synthesis of key knowledge on this area, written by a multidisciplinary group of experts on climate and economic modelling, and policy design

A palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Middle Jurassic of Sardinia (Italy) based on integrated palaeobotanical, palynological and lithofacies data assessment

During the Jurassic, Sardinia was close to continental Europe. Emerged lands started from a single island forming in time a progressively sinking archipelago. This complex palaeogeographic situation gave origin to a diverse landscape with a variety of habitats. Collection- and literature-based palaeobotanical, palynological and lithofacies studies were carried out on the Genna Selole Formation for palaeoenvironmental interpretations. They evidence a generally warm and humid climate, affected occasionally by drier periods. Several distinct ecosystems can be discerned in this climate, including alluvial fans with braided streams (Laconi-Gadoni lithofacies), paralic swamps and coasts (Nurri-Escalaplano lithofacies), and lagoons and shallow marine environments (Ussassai-Perdasdefogu lithofacies). The non-marine environments were covered by extensive lowland and a reduced coastal and tidally influenced environment. Both the river and the upland/hinterland environments are of limited impact for the reconstruction. The difference between the composition of the palynological and palaeobotanical associations evidence the discrepancies obtained using only one of those proxies. The macroremains reflect the local palaeoenvironments better, although subjected to a transport bias (e.g. missing upland elements and delicate organs), whereas the palynomorphs permit to reconstruct the regional palaeoclimate. Considering that the flora of Sardinia is the southernmost of all Middle Jurassic European floras, this multidisciplinary study increases our understanding of the terrestrial environments during that period of time

Mechanisms involved in the platinization of sol-gel-derived TiO2 thin films.

International audienc

LinkPAs – Linking networks of protected areas to territorial development, Inception Report Version 30/08/2017

The overall objective of the Linking networks of protected areas to territorial development - LinkPAs project - is to explore the role of existing networks of protected areas (NPAs) to define and implement sustainable territorial development strategies and policies. This study was launched by ESPON upon the stakeholders’ request and it seeks to identify emerging trends in governance practices within complex socio-ecological systems (i.e. mountain regions) that are likely to shape a novel approach to natural resource management. Drawing on the activities carried out by existing NPAs, this project seeks to provide significant evidence of the impact that NPAs have on growth at different territorial levels of development. Consequently, the project shall offer recommendations to ensure the successful capitalisation of the natural resources management; it is furthermore suggested that these recommendations should be integrated to the framework of general and sectoral strategies. LinkPAs investigates four Protected Areas (PAs) that have joined different NPAs according to their specific territorial characteristics (e.g. PAs typologies, biodiversity, cultural heritage, etc.), institutional structure (e.g. legal status), geographical specificity and diversity (e.g. mountain with low accessibility, the population, poor services of general interest) and geographical location (within the scope of application of an international treaty). In order to raise awareness regarding PAs and NPAs among prospective stakeholders, the University of Rome Tor Vergata (project leader) has created a consortium comprising five more partners and started a close cooperation with the Stakeholders Steering Committee (Abruzzo Region, the EGTC European Park Alpi Marittime-Mercantour, the ALPARC territory, the Municipality of Razlog) As prescribed in the Terms of Reference (ToR), this Inception Report (IR) provides a description of the conceptual and methodological framework used to carry out this project, an overview of qualitative data to be collected and the relevant literature to be used throughout. It also outlines a preliminary overview of existing models of NPA and their governance and regulations within territorial development. This report concludes by discussing a preliminary set of policy recommendations

LinkPAs – Linking networks of protected areas to territorial development, Scientific report

The overall objective of the project “Linking networks of Protected Areas to territorial development” - LinkPAs project - is to explore the role of existing Networks of Protected Areas (NPAs) to define and implement sustainable territorial development strategies and policies. This study was launched by ESPON upon the stakeholders’ request and it seeks to identify emerging trends in governance practices within complex socio-ecological systems (i.e. mountain regions) that are likely to shape a novel approach to natural resource management. Drawing on the activities carried out by existing NPAs, this project seeks to provide significant evidence of the impact that NPAs have on growth at different territorial levels of development. The present Scientific Report provides a description of the conceptual and methodological framework used to carry out this project. It also outlines an overview of existing models of NPA and their governance and regulations within territorial development as well as within the current European policy on Green Infrastructures. In this framework a possible management approach has been proposed for NPAs in order to integrate them within sectoral and development strategies. Special focus on the potential role of local actors (particularly SME) in this process has been indeed developed. According to Targeted Analysis objectives large part of the discussion has devoted to case studies analisys. The report concludes by discussing a set of policy recommendations targeted to stakeholder’s territories

Tra risultati scientifici, radici ideologiche e orizzonti culturali condivisi. Un\u2019analisi culturale della ricerca scientifica in Media Education (versione italiana)

L'articolo riflette sulle iscrizioni \u201cideologiche\u201d della ricerca scientifica in Media Education. - Sulla scorta degli studi culturali anglosassoni , adotta l'approccio che l\u2019educazione ai media da sempre applica allo studio dei media e dei loro testi: l\u2019analisi critica e la decostruzione dei dispositivi retorici del testo. In questo caso i testi oggetto di analisi sono: alcuni classici dispositivi metodologici tipicamente usati nelle ricerche in Media education(i.e. le griglie utilizzate per l'analisi comparativa dei contenuti televisivi) e alcuni risultati ormai stabilizzati della ricerca in questo settore (i.e. la desensibilizzazione come effetto dell'esposizione protratta alla violenza rappresentata). La meta analisi di metodi e risultati della ricerca nel settore (intesi come dispositivi discorsivi) rivela la radice inevitabilmente ideologica di questa (come altre) impresa scientifica. Al di l\ue0 delle misure di controllo utilizzate (intercorder agreement, significativit\ue0 statistica, etc..), anche solo tratti considerati pertinenti e distintivi rispetto alla descrizione dei contenuti mediatici ma anche le parole utilizzate per descrivere i risultati delle ricerche rivelano quanto la ricerca stessa sia dipendente da assunti, idee, rappresentazioni del tutto culturali circa fenomeni quali "intelligenza", "identit\ue0", "genere" , ma anche da precise idee per nulla scientifiche circa ci\uf2 che \ue9 auspicabile e ci\uf2 che non lo \ue9 rispetto allo sviluppo dei bambini. Questa meta analisi consente di mostrare che la ricerca in questo ambito, persino quella a carattere "puramente" descrittivo o rigorosamente sperimentale, non \ue9 value & context-free. Essa si radica in un orizzonte morale e dipende dai punti di vista e valori inscrutti nei dispositivi discorsivi condivisi e legittimati dalla comunit\ue0 scientifica