WWF ITALY
WWF ITALY is an organization associated with WWF International. In Italy, WWF was founded in 1966, to defend nature and the living species on our planet.
Today, with the help of citizens and the involvement of companies and institutions, it contributes incisively to the conservation of natural ecosystems in Italy and worldwide.
On a national level, WWF Italy can be counted among the most authoritative organizations from the environmental point of view: the Association has a scientific council and a legal committee which includes the main scientists and experts, professors of national level, and personalities who feed the debate on the most important environmental issues on a national and European level. WWF Italy has a protocol of understanding with the Central Coast Guard authority, MIUR (Ministry of Universities and Research) and is an accredited body for the training of school staff
WWF Italy marine programme was born in 2006 to pursue WWF global goal to restore ocean health for the benefit of people and nature, and is structured across 4 pillars: sustainable fisheries and sustainable seafood consumption, marine wildlife protection, marine protected areas and marine litter.
Through a combination of field work, policy and advocacy activities, and educations and awareness raising it has played an important and significant role in the past years in:
- the promotion and implementation of a co-management approach to fisheries management where NGOs, fishers, scientists and authorities identify shared solutions to achieve the long term ecological and socio-economic sustainability of the fishing activity;
- the improvement of Marine Protected Areas effectiveness at national scale;
- the protection of sharks, marine turtles and cetaceans in the Mediterranean;
- the activation of society and authorities to tackle the threat of marine litter.
Since 2018 WWF has launched a campaign which enabled the activation of society to protect the Mediterranean sea through concrete actions (marine turtles nesting monitoring, beach cleanings etc).
In 2019 the campaign was joined by a network of WWF-supporting diving centers and divers, WWF S.U.B. , engaged in the defense of the sea (e.g. marine litter and ghost gear mapping and recovery) and in raising the awareness of the wider diving community.
In 2020 WWF launched a free online platform creating a lifelong learning environment. The platform sets up an education and training system with a strong drive towards innovation, on the various transversal, interdisciplinary and synergistic themes related to the conservation of nature.
In more detail, WWF Italy:
- It works to initiate processes of change that lead to sustainable living;
- It acts with innovative methods capable of bringing together the best cultural, social, and economic resources;
- It acts to be a global, independent, multicultural, political but non-partisan organization;
- It uses the best scientific information available to identify and pursue its objectives;
- It seeks dialogue and avoids unnecessary confrontation;
- It creates concrete conservation solutions through a combination of field projects, policy initiatives, capacity building, and education;
- It involves local communities and respects their aspirations and needs;
- It forges appropriate partnerships with other organizations, environmental and political institutions, governments, and the public to strengthen WWF’s effectiveness;
- It critically evaluates the adequacy and effectiveness of its efforts to achieve defined objectives and be a careful steward of funds.
Work Package
WP5, WP6, WP7, WP8
Team
Giulia Prato
Head of marine, Project manager
Before joining WWF she gained research experience on the ecosystem approach to marine resources management in several European countries (Italy, Germany, Ireland, Portugal and France). She works for WWF since 2016 and is now head of the marine programme. Since her arrival in WWF she has managed and implemented 5 international projects related to sustainable fisheries and marine protected areas. Beyond project management, she is responsible for engaging with local, national and international stakeholders both in the field and through advocacy actions, including fisheries sector, MPAs sector, scientists, corporates and donors.
Cristina Maceroni
Head of communication campaigns, Project communication manager
In the last 3 years she has managed the first national WWF campaign on sea defense – GenerAzioneMare – also promoting the communication of several funded conservation projects, both national and international, related to the themes of the sea, sustainable fishing, small-scale fishing communities, sustainable consumption of fish products, pollution of the seas, fight against plastic pollution.
She is currently in charge of the team dedicated to the management and promotion of communication campaigns, within the marketing / communication area of WWF Italy.
