“The Italian minor islands represent an extraordinary environmental and biodiversity heritage: their protection requires an integrated approach that enhances scientific knowledge while supporting local communities through new socio-ecological models and sustainable resource management strategies,” stated Nello Musumeci, Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies.
“Strengthening actions to combat the water crisis means promoting innovative solutions for the efficient supply and use of water resources: in this complex governance, the strategic role of the scientific community emerges as essential for safeguarding these fragile ecosystems while assisting administrations and decision-makers.”
A viewpoint echoed by Andrea Lenzi, President of the National Research Council: “I thank Minister Musumeci for his strong focus on the issue of minor islands, where the impacts of climate change are particularly evident: the CNR, thanks to its observation and monitoring networks, is equipped to provide data, tools, and knowledge to transform the specificities of these territories into innovative models of sustainability and resilience for improved public service planning, starting with health services, throughout the Mediterranean context.”
The ‘Sustainable Islands Observatory, promoted by Cnr-Dsstta under the direction of Francesco Petracchini aims to document developments in the Italian minor islands across energy, water, waste, and mobility sectors, encouraging experience sharing and accelerating the transition to sustainability.
This context has explored the role of minor islands as complex systems, where water scarcity intersects with socio-economic dynamics, tourism pressures, and environmental fragility. The resilience of insular territories thus relies on environmental policies, climate adaptation, risk management related to droughts and emergencies, infrastructural interventions, and integrated planning strategies.
Concrete examples of research and innovation contributions towards sustainable solutions for the production, treatment, and efficient use of water resources have been presented, including advanced technologies for purification and desalination.
Among these are membrane processes for seawater desalination, actively developed by Cnr-Itm; the use of innovative materials such as hollow fiber membranes with enhanced capacities for purifying water from emerging contaminants like heavy metals and PFAS, developed by Cnr-Isof in collaboration with private partners; and the “bioristor”, a system of sensors integrated with AI technologies designed by Cnr-Imem to optimize water resource use in agricultural production.
