REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY: FIRE RISK AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT IN THE SORRENTINE PENINSULA

The risk is the probability of adverse event occurring and it is assessed as a product of hazard, vulnerability and exposure. Scholars define “hazard” as the addition of statistical probabilities of an adverse event occurring and its magnitude. Therefore, greater serious effects are generated by the whole susceptibility of the territory that is damaged by the event in terms of physical, social and economical vulnerability [1]. Exposure, however, is related to the losses generated by the event and it is assessed by a range of measurable factors, which are determined by the number and the typologies of the elements at risk in the area. Expected losses, as well as the potential losses, are what the area could suffer if it is unable to protect the exposed elements [2].
In this framework, forest fire¹ is a special risk typology generating potential loss scenarios by which direct losses tot up indirect ones, such as the damage of soil invested, that reduces its ecosystem performances and activates the chain risks arising from scenarios resulting from fire. The coastal areas of the Sorrentine Peninsula are heavily exposed to fire as resulting by the Land Registry of Forest Fires². Despite fire is not completely predictable, vulnerability of this area can be assessed by considering both the Land Use Change (LUC) – with the abandonment of traditional agriculture – and the geological nature of the site (calcarenite hard soil) and its slant. These factors also represent a critical point in terms of “sensitivity” of the site, because of the nature of the soil could potentially trigger sliding risk.
The present study deals with a one year research project titled “Place-based Regeration Strategies and Participatory Processes”. The research has been carried out in the framework of the CNRIriss scientific mission and it is part of the preliminary study for a EU-LIFE project proposal on the topic of the increasing of territorial resilience in the Sorrentine Penisula coast. Starting from the analysis of both the coastal nature and the specific vulnerability features, the contribution pinpoints eco-cultural tourism as strategy to achieve the integrated management of the area, by the aim of increasing resilience, safeguard and conservation of costal landscape.