Evaporitic Karst and Caves of Northern Apennines

The degree of consultation with the 37 stakeholder groups and their participation in decision-making appeared to be effective and there was a high degree of support for the inscription. The management structure of the protected area is complex owing to the different levels of protection, and different management agencies, both national and regional for the component parts. This complexity will likely make community inclusion challenging. A local farmers association spoke out about lack of engagement and the potential impact of the inscription on their current activities. A trade union representing workers at Monte Tondo quarry is also concerned that the nomination would adversely affect them (IUCN 2023).

All of the component parts have protection status equivalent to IUCN Category IV, and Alta Valle Secchia (nominated component part 1) is also partially protected by a national park (IUCN Category II). Ninety-six percent of the nominated property is protected by the European Union’s Natura 2000 network. Seventy percent is protected by a national park and by two regional parks. Most of the remaining areas are nature reserves and protected landscapes, preserved by local law. The buffer zone and the land
adjacent to the property is subject to the territorial and landscape planning of the Emilia-Romagna Region that establishes the legal framework for the management of the territory. The State and the Emilia-Romagna Region have passed and implemented legislation and management that provides adequate legal protection to the gypsum areas in the Northern Apennines. The overall protection system is complex. One factor adding complexity is that more than half of the area of the component parts is privately owned and not under direct State or Regional responsibility. Private ownership ranges up to 98% in some component parts of the serial site. Although the national legislation (Italian Civil Code) specifies that the waters, minerals, crystals, fossils, archaeological finds and antiquities belong to the State, the potential for private landowners to modify the property in ways that may degrade the proposed Outstanding Universal Value is unclear. In addition, some important areas (see section 4.2) with specifically identified attributes are not covered by any legislative or regulatory protection, including parts
of the component part of Alta Valle Secchia. Whilst the unprotected areas of Alta Valle Secchia are situated within the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve, they are found in the buffer zone or transition zone of the Reserve and are not specifically protected for their geological values. The Biosphere Reserve’s concern for geological values is mainly centred on educational aspects of geo-conservation rather than protection. The same also applies, to a greater extent, to the buffer zone of the component part of Alta Valle Secchia, and to a small extent to the buffer zone of the three component parts of Vena del Gesso Romagnola. Therefore, the property and buffer zone would not be protected in their entirety by the legal framework as required by the Operational Guidelines, especially by paragraphs 96-99, 101-102 and 104. (IUCN, 2023).

The State Party has drafted a structure of governance and management for the nominated property, and an office at the local level to coordinate all the partners included in the serial nomination is to be established as part of the General Directorate for Land Care and Environment. The proposed Overall Management Strategy provides a fair basis for the future structure and shared responsibilities between the regional and the national administration and among the 37 involved stakeholders. Although protection through different legislative and management programs are covering most of the property, there remain gaps in protection within the property and for important attributes of the OUV. The complexity of the system of protection is considerable and would benefit from a single unified protection system for the component parts of the property (IUCN, 2023).

Ninety-six percent of the property is protected by the European Union’s Natura 2000 network. Seventy percent is protected by a national park and by two regional parks. Most of the remaining areas are nature reserves and protected landscapes preserved by local law. The buffer zone and the land
adjacent to the property is subject to the territorial and landscape planning of the Emilia-Romagna Region that establishes the rules for the management of the territory. Much of the property is under private ownership. (IUCN 2023).

The nine component parts of the serial property include most of the evaporitic rocks of the Northern Apennine range. However, this is not the case for the component part Alta Valle Secchia where a large number of the values are located outside the property, including in areas that are not formally protected for their geological values. As paragraph 99 of the Operational Guidelines requires boundaries to incorporate all the attributes that convey the proposed Outstanding Universal Value and to
ensure the integrity of the property, IUCN considers that the boundaries of the component part of Alta Valle Secchia would need to be revised to capture the OUV and to ensure their effective protection. (IUCN 2023).

The northern part of the property overlaps with the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve. The State Party should ensure strict
protection is granted to the entire World Heritage Site component part and to all identified attributes of the OUV (IUCN 2023).

Implementation has commenced but not yet complete.

The property has made many iconic contributions to understanding of the record of climate evolution over the last hundred thousand years, and provides lessons and education that support our understanding of climate
change in the future. (IUCN, 2023).

The management system consists of two management bodies. The component part of Alta Valle Secchia is managed by the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park. All other component parts are under the control of the Emilia-Romagna Region, which directly supervises the management bodies of the regional protected areas. These management bodies have a management plan, a specific budget and dedicated staff (technical and administrative) to manage and control the respective areas. Key management issues include the protection of the attributes and values of the geological heritage, conservation measures for habitats and species of
Community interest, knowledge and communication of the natural environments. In addition, the northern part of the property overlaps with management of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve. (IUCN, 2023).

The legal framework would be enforced through the management system. This system is complex, and as such enforcement could be less effective.
The system of community engagement and support appears strong, with the exception of the potential continued operation of the quarry. Without enforcement of the cessation of activity, the OUV could be compromised.

The region and the responsible ministry provide adequate resources for the management of the area and according to the management strategy and the field mission. Additional staffing and financial resources for the management of the nominated areas is planned. For 2022 and 2023 the Ministry has provided almost 7.9 million USD per year for natural World Heritage projects. For the period 2023 to 2025 an annual budget of approximately 2.5 million USD is foreseen. (IUCN, 2023).

Staffing for the property is sufficient with 88 rangers and 79 ecological guards. Expertise in geo-conservation is sufficiently covered by staff and complemented by strong cooperation with nearby universities. (IUCN, 2023).

The Management Plan speaks in general terms about interpretive programs (Italy, 2023). The technical-scientific working group includes the Department of Education studies "Giovanni Maria Bertin" from the University of Bologna. A key aim for the site's management is to promote the knowledge of geological values through education and training programmes, engaging local schools (Regione Emilia-Romagna, 2022). The Emilia-Romagna Sustainability Education Network (RES ) connects all organizations (public
and private) responsible for promoting sustainability education in the region. It includes local authorities, educational and training institutions, scientific agencies, park authorities, business, and voluntary associations. In particular, the Centres for Education for Sustainability (CEAS) of Emilia-Romagna have been established. They are specialised structures distributed throughout the region. The CEAS “Protected Areas” have been set up by the
Management Authority for Parks and Biodiversity (Macroareas), and are responsible for sustainability education, with particular reference to biodiversity and natural heritage. In the WH site there are three of them: the “Protected Areas Emilia Orientale” CEAS, the “Protected Areas Emilia Centrale” CEAS, the “Parks School Romagna” CEAS. These CEAS-Protected Areas coordinate the educational activities of the “Gessi Bolognesi e Calanchi dell’Abbadessa” Regional Park, the “Vena del Gesso Romagnola” Regional Park, the “Onferno Reserve”, and the “Collina Reggiana Protected Landscape” (Regione Emilia-Romagna, 2022b).

The effect of increased visitation as a result of inscription is identified as a threat, and a visitation management plan still needs to be prepared to address this threat (IUCN, 2023).

Agriculture appears to be at a sustainable level to support the OUV of the property. Quarrying has been identified as a non-sustainable use that would be ceased (IUCN, 2023).

A long-term monitoring system has been set up, using ground- and underground-based observations, for improved evaluation of the chemical and ecological state of karst aquifers, seismotectonic movements, and climate cave conditions. Key aspects of the nominated property’s flora and fauna are also monitored. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2020 including all the 37 responsible authorities. (IUCN, 2023).

Research is a strength of the site, both in further understanding of the OUV, and supporting management of the property.

Quarrying activities outside the WH site boundaries are very localised and strictly regulated by the regional legislation. The few existing
activities outside the core areas are permanently monitored at the regional level. Agricultural activity, which is much less invasive but a little more widespread, is however regulated and monitored at the regional level and at the level of the single Park or protected area. The potential effects deriving from proximity to intensely anthropized areas (settlements, tourist attractions, pollution, depression from abandonment) are continuously monitored to ensure that pressure factors are kept under control (Regione Emilia-Romagno, 2022)

The management system consists of two management bodies. The component part of Alta Valle Secchia is managed by the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park. All other component parts are under the control of the Emilia-Romagna Region, which directly supervises the management bodies of the regional protected areas. These management bodies have a management plan, a specific budget and dedicated staff (technical and administrative) to manage and control the respective areas. Key management issues include the protection of the attributes and values of the geological heritage, conservation measures for habitats and species of
Community interest, knowledge and communication of the natural environments. In addition, the northern part of the property overlaps with management of the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve. (IUCN, 2023).