Management of Protected Areas: Challenges and Changes Affecting the Protected Marine Area of Porto Cesareo (Puglia Region), Italy

This chapter considers the role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the protection of the marine environment, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, it assesses their usefulness as a means of managing and accelerating the restoration of ecosystems and creating a balance between biodiversity conservation and sustainable human activities. It looks at the state of the art and analyses the features and management performance of the Porto Cesareo Marine Protected Area in southern Puglia, an area severely compromised by decades of unrestrained urbanisation and unauthorised development. It presents the area’s local assets, and the strategies and tools that might enable the MPA to ensure economic viability based on sustainable and lasting tourism.