Presented at the headquarters of the Etna Park Authority "SEW - Save the Etna World", a project developed by a group of partners belonging to Third Sector Associations and Public Institutions, including the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). SEW intends to evaluate the impact of the products of volcanic activity on the Biosphere, through the implementation of a program of interdisciplinary actions aimed at enhancing and protecting the environment of some key sites of the Etna Park and at promoting activities aimed at rediscovery of the volcano as a source of biodiversity and well-being. These actions are also an opportunity for socio-cultural and economic development of the area concerned. The impact of volcanic activity on the environment, relating to the elements and compounds of volcanic origin emitted both during the eruptive phases of Etna and in periods of quiescence, will be evaluated and analyzed by INGV researchers, using biomonitoring techniques and the aid of modern instruments of observation and measurement placed in the chosen sites, in areas pertaining to the Etna park, host body of all the activities envisaged in the project.
The Etna ecosystem has a rich and varied biodiversity which, in addition to constituting an environmental value in itself, favors the development of dynamic relationships with the territory. The potential inherent in this precious resource requires a coherent strategy of control, protection and enhancement, to the advantage of both the environmental integrity and the social, cultural and economic conditions of the population.
The project, funded by Foundation WITH THE SOUTH, will therefore take care of monitoring the habitats and plant and animal species in some key sites of the Etna Park; create a unique natural center for environmental observation and education; orient the awareness of the population on the interaction between volcano, flora, fauna, and man.
