Inland Areas, Protected Natural Areas and Sustainable Development

In recent years, policies implemented by many countries have resulted in the deterioration of the Earth's environment rather than the protection of environmental resources. The impact on the environment and territories, particularly those in the Mediterranean basin, is now evident in all its gravity. Even in Italy, the development policies pursued until 2010 favored urban settlements, neglecting the rest of the territory and, in particular, areas far from the traffic flows of people and goods. In the last decade, Italy has also begun to invest in 'inland areas' and protected natural areas that, if well analyzed, organized and managed, can become the promoter of sustainable development for the entire country. Starting from the potential expressed by local communities, landscape resources, cultural, intangible and tangible heritage, the aim is to provide direction and potential scenarios for enhancing economic opportunities, unexpressed and possible drivers of sustainable development.