The official delegation, composed of: Brig. Gen. Massimiliano Conti (Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security), Adm. Insp. (CP) Vincenzo Leone (Deputy General Commander of the Italian Coast Guard); Adm. Insp. Pierpaolo Budri (Chief of Staff of the Navy Logistics Command), Rear Admiral (CP) Gaetano Angora (Maritime Director of Campania and Commander of the Port of Naples), Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio (President of Fondazione UniVerde), Rosalba Giugni (President of Marevivo), Valerio Rossi Albertini (Atomic-Molecular Physicist at the CNR, Professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and television science communicator), Carmen Di Penta (General Director of Marevivo), Giuseppe Di Duca (Director of Fondazione UniVerde and Board of Directors of SOS Terra ETS), was accompanied by a delegation from Marnavi who, during the visit to the plant, illustrated the various process stages to obtain high-quality, safe water with low environmental impact.

Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio (President of Fondazione UniVerde): “The mobile marine desalination plant offers the most sustainable and effective solution, especially for minor islands and archipelagos, as it is capable of guaranteeing a constant supply of high-quality drinking water, fully responding to the citizens’ right to benefit from water resources that are safe from a health perspective and remineralized according to current regulations. In a national context characterized by increasing water stress and supply difficulties, this Italian innovation presents itself as an extremely flexible, modular, and efficient response. The adoption of ship-based desalination is crucial where it is fundamental to avoid the proliferation of fixed desalination plants that are oversized due to high-season needs, or pseudo-removable ones passed off as mobile. Land-based infrastructures have a significant landscape impact, are highly energy-intensive, and are harmful to coastal and marine ecosystems. This is a choice of common sense and environmental responsibility. Scientific research, in fact, has repeatedly highlighted that high-concentration brine discharges produced by fixed plants represent a serious threat to habitats and biodiversity, especially for the protection of our pristine Marine Protected Areas. This is the meaning of today’s initiative and the appeal we address to the Institutions for effective regulatory action in the sector, aimed at promoting Made in Italy technological innovation, already supported by European research projects.”

Rosalba Giugni (President of Marevivo): “Given the importance of regulating this matter effectively, we regret to note that the SalvaMare Law is still a dead letter awaiting the implementing decrees, including the one relating to Art. 12, which establishes stringent criteria and environmental controls on desalination plants, testifying to the fact that the legislator’s intent in regulating such plants was to protect the marine and coastal environment.

Without specific implementing decrees, the law risks losing its effectiveness entirely. Furthermore, the Drought Decree worsens the current framework by allowing exemptions from the EIA obligation for desalination plants. Ship-based desalination allows for the overcoming of critical issues; promoting this type of plant, considering their almost zero environmental impact, is an important initiative that represents a valid solution in the direction repeatedly advocated by Marevivo.”

Brig. Gen. Massimiliano Conti (Deputy Head of Cabinet of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security): “Water security is a national priority. We operate in line with the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change and the measures of the PNRR – Mission 2, Component 4 to protect water resources, within a governance framework that includes the Control Room for the water crisis. In this process, technological solutions must be integrated into the water cycle: energy efficiency, use of renewables, reduction of leaks, water reuse, and transparent monitoring remain our guiding criteria.

The mobile marine desalination project – developed by Italian entities and implemented on a dedicated naval unit – proposes offshore production with the release of concentrate in deep waters and dilution during navigation, reducing the impact on soil and landscape and allowing for rapid commissioning in emergencies. The flexibility of the ship-plant setup allows for serving multiple islands with economies of scale, while the procedures carried out under the supervision of the Italian Naval Register have defined a new class of units for the production and transport of drinking water. These aspects are consistent with our objectives: maximum environmental compatibility, water quality for human use, and improvement of energy efficiency (with an expected result of up to +30%).”

Adm. Insp. (CP) Vincenzo Leone (Deputy General Commander of the Italian Coast Guard): “The proposal for a mobile marine desalination plant is an extraordinarily winning one. As the Coast Guard, we will monitor the use of this innovative unit. We find the operation very interesting and, as we do daily, we will support shipowners and coastal communities. We are well aware of how traditional desalination plants, the fixed land-based ones, produce emissions and environmental impacts that are not good for the environment. This technology, on the contrary, offers a brilliant solution: it acquires clean water on the high seas, desalinates it, and releases the brine in the open sea, thus avoiding concentration and environmental impact on the coasts.”

Adm. Insp. Pierpaolo Budri (Chief of Staff of the Navy Logistics Command): “The issue of water supply for minor islands has always been one of the institutional tasks of the Defense which, through the Navy, has for years ensured supply with its own water-carrying units, guaranteeing an essential service to local communities. Today, faced with the new challenges posed by the climate crisis, it is fundamental to combine this mission with innovative technological solutions capable of uniting efficiency and environmental sustainability. The Armed Force is committed to this path through the use of low-environmental-impact ships and the progressive energy redevelopment of its land-based infrastructures, with the installation of photovoltaic plants and high-efficiency systems. The Defense, in close collaboration with institutions, research bodies, and industrial entities, intends to continue contributing actively to the development of solutions that respect the marine environment and serve island and coastal communities, contributing to the protection of the sea and the sustainable progress of the country.”

Valerio Rossi Albertini (Senior Researcher at the CNR and television science communicator): “The mobile marine desalination plant is an essential resource, especially under a climate change regime. We have already faced long periods of drought and we know that small islands and archipelagos need easy supplies and high-quality drinking water. The crucial problem with fixed land-based desalination plants is the brine: the high salt concentration of the residue, which coastal biodiversity cannot survive. The desalination ship offers a right and intelligent solution to overcome this obstacle for two main reasons. First, progressive desalination, meaning the extraction of the water resource from the sea can be gradual and controlled, reducing the overall impact. Second, the dispersion of brine on the high seas, which is released along the navigation route. In this way, the salt concentration of the residue will be only slightly higher than that of the sea itself, effectively zeroing environmental impacts and protecting aquatic species.”

Traditional fixed desalination systems, with high energy consumption and a strong impact on coastal ecosystems, are now anachronistic in Marine Protected Areas, minor islands, and archipelagos. The choice to favor a ship with an onboard desalination plant not only protects habitats and marine biodiversity but also offers a modular, pragmatic, and forward-looking solution for water security plans, especially during the tourist season.

The Italian technology of the mobile marine desalination plant, designed and built by Marnavi, represents the fastest, safest, and most economically advantageous response to these challenges. The advantages are numerous:

• reduction of environmental impact: unlike land-based plants, which consume soil and discharge concentrated brine near the coast and, quite surrealistically, a short distance from the intake point of the water to be purified, the mobile desalination plant operates in the open sea; it takes water from the depths, where it is cleaner and therefore easier to purify also in terms of the use of chemical-physical reagents, and gradually disperses the brine during navigation, utilizing the force of the propeller to avoid its concentration in a single discharge point, significantly reducing coastal pollution;

• economic and operational efficiency: this technology allows for an enormous reduction in construction costs and times, and significantly contains maintenance costs as well as ordinary operating costs, compared to a land-based plant that must be powered with large amounts of energy. The mobile marine desalination plant also offers unparalleled operational flexibility. The maximum performance is the use of this technology in archipelagos where, instead of as many plants as there are habitable islands, a single mobile desalination plant would suffice, sized according to the needs of the population present and the period, even in case of emergency;

• water quality and safety: the water produced is of high quality, remineralized according to current regulations, and constantly monitored by specialized personnel on board. The ship is also equipped with systems capable of immediately stopping production in case of anomalies. Finally, a research agreement with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità ensures the maximum safety of the water produced by the mobile marine desalination plant for human consumption.

This innovative type of Made in Italy plant, already operational, represents a tangible example of how Italian technological innovation can combine effectiveness, sustainability, and protection of the coastal and marine environmental heritage, offering a safe solution from a health perspective and a low-impact one for island communities. An alternative with technological and scientific value recognized in 2017 by the then Ministry of Economic Development and the CNR.

In particular, the CNR’s preliminary report for the Horizon 2020 – PON 2014/2020 Call states that “the quality of the project is high both with reference to technical aspects and the level of innovation proposed and expected results” and that, among other things, “desalination while in motion would allow for the limitation of certain impacts typical of plants located on the mainland or on offshore platforms.” A report that allowed the MiSE to admit the project, carried out in collaboration with another leading company in the sector, to the benefits of the European Commission’s funding instrument for scientific research and innovation.

Fondazione UniVerde Press Office

L'articolo The sustainable response to the water crisis in minor islands and archipelagos, providing high-quality water, comes from the sea and flies the Italian flag. Fondazione UniVerde, SOS Terra ETS, and Fondazione Marevivo promote the official visit to the mobile marine desalination plant built by Marnavi. proviene da Marnavi.

Innovation and Sustainability: The Features of Our Mobile Marine Desalination Plant

The Mobile Marine Desalination Plant is a cutting-edge solution designed to provide water to islands safely, even in situations of water scarcity at supply points, responding to the needs of a world increasingly oriented towards sustainability. In the AutoMoto video, the unique features of this technology are illustrated, including:

Energy efficiency: A system optimized to minimize energy use during the desalination process.

Mobility and adaptability: The desalination plant is designed to be used in various operating conditions.

Reduced environmental impact: The adoption of eco-friendly technologies to limit environmental impact, with particular attention to the treatment of brine and products used for membrane cleaning.

A Commitment to a Sustainable Future

Our participation in the “Mezzi Speciali” column on AutoMoto is an extraordinary opportunity to raise public awareness about the importance of water resource management and sustainable technologies. We firmly believe that innovation in the maritime sector can play a crucial role in building a better and more sustainable future.

We would like to thank the entire AutoMoto team for sharing our vision and commitment.

For further information and to see the full video, click the link below:

L'articolo Our Mobile Marine Desalination Plant Featured on AutoMoto.it proviene da Marnavi.

The event was promoted by Fondazione UniVerde, Fondazione Marevivo, and UNEP/MAP with the patronage of the Italian Embassy in Athens.

Gilberto PICHETTO FRATIN: I assure our commitment to addressing the issue of desalination, its implications, and evaluating the alternative represented by marine mobile desalination units that could address, in certain contexts, both contingent and structural difficulties. We have the responsibility to protect the beautiful and vast heritage represented by the smaller islands.

Tatjana HEMA: Sharing best practices and new technologies to prevent marine pollution, protect biodiversity and ecosystems, save energy and water is the path to follow to promote sustainable desalination, particularly in areas with high water demand, including small islands.

Alfonso PECORARO SCANIO: I appeal to the Italian Government and Parliament for an effective guiding function. Clear and unambiguous regulation is needed on the deployment and management of land-based desalination plants and more stringent directives on highly polluting brine discharges along the coast.

(ATHENS, October 25, 2023) Common sense dictates that the time has come to abandon highly impactful systems when new technologies are already available, moreover widely used in emergencies by the Italian Government, to provide quality water to the smaller islands. The global climate crisis demands immediate action, because dotting smaller islands or entire archipelagos with fixed desalination plants that are energy-intensive and harmful to coastal ecosystems is a completely anachronistic policy. Marine mobile desalination units, built with Italian technology, currently represent the fastest, most sustainable, economical, and safe solution to optimize the management of safety and drinking water supply plans for smaller islands, even in cases of crises, emergencies, and increased water demand during the tourist season.

These topics were discussed yesterday in Athens at the conference “Agenda 2030 and the right to water of the smaller islands. The sustainable alternatives for a quality water supply,” promoted by Fondazione UniVerde, Fondazione Marevivo ETS, UNEP/MAP – United Nations Environment Programme / Mediterranean Action Plan (the United Nations Environment Programme coordinating the Mediterranean Action Plan) with the patronage of the Italian Embassy in Athens and with the participation of the Deputy Head of Mission, Susanna Schlein.

The event, included in the panel “Regulatory and policy framework on marine pollution, prevention and reduction from land-based sources and activities” co-promoted by UNEP/MAP and WES Project and supported by the European Union, provided an opportunity to analyze, in a highly qualified international context, the critical issues related to land-based desalination plants, present one of the most interesting and sustainable alternatives to fixed plants and their impacts, and call for new international guidelines and/or measures for sea-respectful desalination, also within the context of the Barcelona Convention. UNEP/MAP and the contracting parties to the Convention – 21 Mediterranean countries and the European Union – have progressively created an institutional, legal, and implementation framework that integrates essential elements for sustainability in the Mediterranean, aimed at realizing the vision of healthy marine and coastal ecosystems for the sustainable development of the Mediterranean region.

Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio (President of Fondazione UniVerde and former Minister of the Environment and Minister of Agricultural Policies): “On the issues of sustainable desalination processes, the right to quality drinking water for citizens of smaller islands, and the protection of the sea, Fondazione UniVerde and Marevivo have always promoted public discussion events, information, and involved Italian Institutions to obtain adequate regulations. Our ambitious message is strengthened by the international stop in Athens, which sees us alongside UNEP/MAP, to pave the way for progress toward an economy that respects the blue lung of the Planet. Clear and unambiguous regulation is needed on the deployment and management of land-based desalination plants and more stringent directives on highly polluting brine discharges along the coast. This is an urgent health and environmental issue that must find a solution. The option of adopting marine mobile desalination units represents a valid response both to land consumption by fixed plants and to the need to protect marine flora and fauna. This is the meaning of today’s initiative and the appeal we address to the Italian Government and Parliament for an effective guiding function, implementing a SEA (strategic environmental assessment) but also to support a made-in-Italy technological innovation such as the marine mobile desalination unit.”

Carmen Di Penta (General Director of Marevivo): “The smaller islands are a precious environmental asset not only for their historical, landscape, and traditional characteristics, but also and above all for the sea that surrounds them. To find the best solutions for their sustenance, it is useful to define mitigation measures for the protection of the sea as an asset. I used the term ‘asset’ and not ‘resource,’ because if we do not protect the asset, we will also lose the resource. Without forgetting that drought forces us to find alternative and more sustainable solutions once again.”

Tatiana Hema (UNEP/MAP Coordinator): “Desalination is an important sector rapidly developing and expanding in the Mediterranean, considering climate change and water scarcity. UNEP/MAP promotes and defines regional standard policies for sustainable desalination, already included in the Protocol on Land-Based Sources and Activities of the Barcelona Convention. Sharing best practices and new technologies to prevent marine pollution, protect biodiversity and ecosystems, save energy and water is the path to follow to promote sustainable desalination, particularly in areas with high water demand, including small islands.”

Gilberto Pichetto Fratin (Minister of the Environment and Energy Security), in a video message, emphasized: “The privilege that Greece and Italy have of enjoying so many islands in the Mediterranean corresponds to the responsibility to protect this beautiful and vast heritage. A defense all the more necessary and important at a time when climate change impacts marine ecosystems so significantly, especially in Mare Nostrum. Solutions for accessing water resources often involve high environmental impact, the use of considerable energy, and waste production. During tourist seasons, with the massive use of tanker ships, all this often becomes unsustainable.” The objective is to focus on the best existing solutions and practices in the European context; in this regard, Minister Pichetto Fratin highlighted: “We are conducting an in-depth study on desalination projects, and therefore on the marine mobile desalination unit, a new technology for Italy that could address, in certain contexts, both contingent and structural difficulties. We are working to renew the existing water network, to build and implement wastewater treatment plants. All this within the framework of the fight against waste and to encourage rainwater collection, on which the Government places great importance. With the PNRR, we are committed to the Green Islands project, 140 projects on 19 smaller islands, also for water sector management.”

Miltiadis G. Zamparas (Member of the Greek Parliament): “The issue of water resources is a major problem for countries with many islands like Greece. In 2030, it is expected that annual drinking water demand will increase by a further 32% compared to 2021 in the South Aegean region, and this, combined with the significant drought problems we will face in the coming years due to climate change, makes clear the great challenges we will face as a country in the coming years. Over the past 50 years, in Greece, approximately 50 islands have been abandoned due to problems related to living in isolated places. Among these is precisely the lack of water. Conditions must be created for the return of inhabitants to the islands but, considering the threatening forecasts for the future of our Planet regarding climate change, a green policy focused on environmental protection is necessary. To achieve these objectives, it is essential that water remains a public good and is managed only by the public sector.”

During the conference, a video of the marine mobile desalination unit built by Marnavi was shown, with an intervention by Domenico Maria Ievoli (Commercial Director of Marnavi).

In summary, compared to land-based plants, the Italian marine mobile desalination technology allows, among many advantages, the reduction of construction costs and times, maintenance costs, avoiding land consumption by highly energy-intensive structures and greatly reducing environmental impacts along the coasts of islands, often pristine and sometimes located in Marine Protected Areas that are treasures of thriving ecosystems and biodiversity.

Unlike fixed plants, which draw water along the coast, often near ports and therefore of questionable quality, and at the same time discharge massive quantities of brine – highly impactful and contaminated by chemical reagents – at a short distance from the shorelines and near, moreover, the intake point; the marine mobile desalination unit draws water offshore and at depth where conditions clearly make it of better quality and therefore subject to less impactful treatments. Furthermore, it gradually disperses the brine during navigation, also utilizing the propeller’s driving force to avoid its concentration in single points. The water produced is safe and of quality, remineralized according to current regulations. Additionally, a research agreement has been established with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità for the definition of the Water Safety Plan for this type of plant.

Knowledge about the potential marine impact of land-based desalination plants is rapidly increasing in the Italian scientific context. At the conference, technical reports were presented by experts and professors from various Italian Institutions and Universities: Luca Lucentini (Director of the National Center for Water Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità) reiterated that problems related to desalination are closely linked to the quality of the resource produced, which must guarantee human health and minimize environmental impacts, and concluded his presentation confirming compliance with drinking water quality standards produced by marine mobile desalination units; Roberto Danovaro (Full Professor at the Polytechnic University of Marche) presented scientific data indicating the presence of impacts, some already evident and others potential, in island areas and in areas of greatest natural value, considering it necessary to develop technologies without environmental impacts on fragile coastal ecosystems. Francesco Aliberti (Professor at the Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II) concluded the academic presentations by first calling for a holistic vision of the water problem, linked to global warming and energy, then emphasized the impacts of land-based desalination plant discharges on coastal ecosystems, also examining the limitations for real monitoring, pre and post intake, expressing his concern about the randomness of the variables that would form the basis of coastal water quality analyses. Furthermore, he concluded his presentation by drawing attention to aspects that are by no means negligible, such as the potential health impacts of drinking water when it is of poor quality. Finally, he highlighted the considerable potential of the marine mobile desalination unit in mitigating the impact on the environment and the sea, an asset to be protected.

L'articolo Italian Marine Mobile Desalination Technology Presented in Athens at UNEP/MAP Meeting proviene da Marnavi.

continued on https://messina.gds.it/articoli/economia/2023/10/19/allo-studio-dissalatori-marini-mobili-per-dare-acqua-alle-isole-della-sicilia-9addeb6f-5850-4ecf-a82b-cb32ac14d7a3/

L'articolo Mobile Marine Desalination Plants Under Study to Supply Water to Sicily’s Islands proviene da Marnavi.

Marnavi S.p.A. is pleased to announce that the MT Rita Ievoli, our new Avesta 2205 Duplex stainless steel vessel, was delivered by the builders on September 14^th and began her maiden voyage to Europe on September 28^th, where she is expected to discharge her cargo in NWE by mid-November.

MT Rita Ievoli specifications.

LOA 129.9 m

B 22.9 m

T 8.85 m

Dwt 14,690 t

Cubic capacity 18,400 cum

Segregation 14

With RINA class notations

╬ OIL TANKER ESP ; CHEMICAL TANKER ESP – IMO 2 – IMO 1

╬ AUT-PORT; ╬ AUT-UMS; ╬ AVM-APS-NS; BWM-T; CARGOCONTROL; COAT-WBT; COMF-

NOISE-C; COMF-VIB-C; COVENT; FATIGUELIFE 25; GREEN PLUS; INWATERSURVEY; LSF0.1;

MANOVR; MLCDESIGN; MON-SHAFT; PMA; STAR-HULL; STAR-MACH; ╬ SYS-NEQ-1; VCS; Tier III.

Her hull and appendices have been studied and tested to minimize water friction and maximize propulsion efficiency.

The combination of size and performance makes our company proud of the results achieved by this in-house project, which makes her suitable for most EU ports by exceeding standard capacity and deadweight.

The vessel, being fitted with both Scrubber and SCR systems, will minimize both SOx and NOx emissions. She can rightfully be included among green vessels, and her emissions, when burning any kind of fuel or biofuel, meet all international rules and requirements regarding air pollution.

MT Rita Ievoli is part of the scheduled fleet renewal, which intends to add further new vessels in the range between 13,000 and 19,000 dwt to the existing fleet of stainless steel and coated vessels.

New vessels are expected to be delivered to Marnavi S.p.A. from 2026 onwards.

Marnavi S.p.A.

L'articolo M/T Rita Ievoli proviene da Marnavi.

On August 12, our friends from Linea Blu – il mare on line came aboard our innovative Marnavi marine mobile desalination unit. This Italian patent is a true revolution in the world of marine desalination, enabling the process to be carried out directly at sea, without creating impacts along the coast.

This means less pressure on coastal ecosystems and greater sustainability for our precious marine environment.

If you missed this incredible moment, don’t worry! You can watch the exciting episode on RaiPlay to discover how this technology is changing the game for the health of our seas at the following link: https://www.raiplay.it/video/2023/08/Linea-Blu—Isole-Eolie-Salina—12082023-9fdeded2-9db2-42d3-af8b-3eeb4e6c1117.html

L'articolo They’re talking about us proviene da Marnavi.

https://www.rai.it/ufficiostampa/assets/template/us-articolo.html?ssiPath=/articoli/2023/08/Linea-Blu-91077ed3-cc64-4e07-be9b-285c2733aeb0-ssi.html

L'articolo Mobile marine desalination unit proviene da Marnavi.

The Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, has assured attention and commitment in addressing the issue of desalination and its implications, and in evaluating the alternative represented by mobile marine desalination plants.

Conference at Palazzo Valentini in Rome: “Agenda 2030 and the right to water for small islands. Sustainable alternatives for high-quality, sea-friendly water supply”, broadcast live on Radio Radicale.

(ROME, June 28, 2023) Land-based desalination plants are expensive to both build and maintain, energy-intensive, and have a significant impact both on the coasts that host them—or will have to host them with long and uncertain construction times—and on local marine flora and fauna due to brine discharges.

This is what emerges from the reports by Roberto Di Vincenzo (former director of the then Ministry of Merchant Marine) and Giuseppe Taverna (former director for integrated water services and water supply for the small islands of the Sicilian Region). Although starting separately, they reach the same conclusions, providing a disturbing insight into the case study of the small islands of Sicily, where approximately 33,000 inhabitants reside permanently (a number that increases tenfold in summer periods). The supply of drinking water is entrusted precisely to this type of desalination plant which, in some cases, is so obsolete and dilapidated that it makes meeting 70% of the water requirement—estimated by the Sicilian Region’s P.R.G.A. at 5,140,000 cubic meters (and significantly exceeded with the presence of tourists)—economically and environmentally unsustainable.

Given the volcanic origin of various Sicilian islands, some still affected by eruptive phenomena; considering the morphology of their territories which complicates land-based project developments; the lack of network interconnection, which is also affected by pressure losses exceeding 50%; and considering the natural value of many islands which led, to name a few, to the establishment of the Pantelleria National Park, the Marine Protected Areas of the Egadi, Ustica, and Pelagie, or the inclusion of the Aeolian Islands as a World Heritage Site; the chorus of interventions opened by the introductory report of Giuseppe Nerio Carugno (Secretary General of the UniVerde Foundation) was almost unanimous on the need to guarantee the right to high-quality drinking water for the citizens of small Italian islands without compromising the natural heritage.

In this worrying scenario, mobile marine desalination plants emerge even more strongly as a valid, sustainable, and economical alternative to fixed plants, allowing for the optimization of safety and supply plans for drinking water to small islands even in cases of crisis, emergencies, and increased water demand during the tourist season.

These topics were discussed today at the conference moderated by Alessio Falconio (Director of Radio Radicale), “Agenda 2030 and the right to water for small islands. Sustainable alternatives for high-quality, sea-friendly water supply“, organized by the UniVerde Foundation, Marevivo, and the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, under the patronage of ANCIM – National Association of Small Island Municipalities, which took place at the Sala Di Liegro of Palazzo Valentini in Rome.

The conference was opened with a welcome greeting from Rocco Ferraro (Councilor of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital delegated to ecological transition, environment, protected areas, and animal protection), who complimented the UniVerde Foundation and Marevivo and assured maximum support for the initiative because “the issue of water is fundamental and urgent to address,” as well as “crucial for small local realities such as small islands.”

Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio (President of the UniVerde Foundation): “On the issues of sustainable desalination processes, the right to high-quality drinking water for citizens of small islands, and the protection of the sea, the UniVerde Foundation and Marevivo have always involved institutions to obtain adequate regulations. This is an urgent health and environmental issue that must find a solution. Clear and unambiguous regulation is needed regarding the distribution and management of land-based desalination plants, along with stricter directives on highly polluting brine discharges on the coast. The hypothesis of adopting mobile marine desalination plants represents a valid response both to land consumption by fixed plants and to the need to protect marine flora and fauna. This is the meaning of today’s initiative and the appeal we address to the Government and Parliament for an effective steering function, carrying out a SEA (strategic environmental assessment) but also to support ‘made in Italy’ technological innovation.”

Carmen Di Penta (General Director of Marevivo): “For 38 years we have been fighting for the sea to be ‘alive’ and among the many activities we have also addressed the problems of small Italian islands regarding the issue of desalination plants. For a year, we met assiduously at a table together with the Ministry, seeking guidelines to implement for correct desalination—guidelines that were also included within the Salvamare Law, which we hope will become active immediately. We all know that our health depends on the health of the sea, so if the sea has problems, we will not be well either.”

Gilberto Pichetto Fratin (Minister of the Environment and Energy Security), via video link, assured attention and commitment in addressing the issue of desalination, its implications, and the alternative represented by mobile desalination plants for the supply of small islands. More generally, the Minister emphasized the need to create the right conditions for optimal water infrastructure, in order to “find a point of balance, the right way,” for an important and urgent issue such as the management of water resources.

Patty L’Abbate (Vice President of the Commission for “Environment, Territory and Public Works”, Chamber of Deputies) underlined the importance of continuing the legislative process on the proposed Framework Law for the development of small marine, lagoon, and lake islands, which provides for guaranteeing water supply through the use of low energy consumption techniques, as well as the recovery of rainwater with micro and phyto-purification and the reuse of wastewater, appropriately treated, to be used safely in agriculture, from a circular economy perspective. It is necessary to plan clear actions in the short and long term, carry out prevention, and choose appropriate technologies considering environmental impact assessment methods and the fragility of the territories.

Representing the National Association of Small Island Municipalities, Gian Piera Usai (National Secretary of ANCIM) spoke, indicating the need to respond to the issues of water reuse and to combat leaks from pipelines. To help reduce the risk of flooding, the solution proposed by the national association is to create reservoirs to harness torrential waters, in addition to the reforestation of areas to stem landslides and soil loss, without forgetting the need for more targeted building regulations. For integrated development, which is a condition for the implementation of efficiency projects, she relaunched the proposal for a national water plan for all small islands.

Following this, a video of the mobile marine desalination plant created by Marnavi was screened. Flexibility of use, quality of the treated water—cleaner because it is taken offshore and at depth—protection of the landscape and coastal strips in the absence of land consumption, and protection of the sea and ecosystems in the absence of the devastating saline impact due to the concentrated discharge of brine at a single point—typical of fixed plants—as it discharges and disperses it gradually into the sea, also utilizing the propeller, during navigation. These are just some of the advantages deriving from the use of mobile marine desalination plants compared to land-based desalination plants which, moreover, in the event of a plant shutdown, sudden requirements, or a water emergency, require the use of maritime transport of drinking water, representing an additional cost. Without considering that the authorization process for land-based desalination plants almost always takes years.

Giuseppe Cavuoti (Director of the Mission Structure for Sea Policies at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers), in underlining that the right to water represents an extension of the right to life, relaunched the first Sea Plan, the elaboration and approval of which must be carried out by CIPOM. The document will be published by July and will contain—for the first time in the country’s history—the strategic guidelines for the next three years regarding the protection and enhancement of the “sea resource” from an energy, environmental, logistical, economic, and institutional relations perspective. In the same document, Cavuoti highlighted, an entire chapter dedicated to the “system of small islands” is planned.

During the conference, technical reports from experts and professors from various Italian universities were illustrated. Luca Lucentini (Director of the National Center for Water Safety, Higher Institute of Health) confirmed compliance with the quality standards for drinking water produced by mobile marine desalination plants. Francesco Aliberti (Professor at the Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II) highlighted the impacts of land-based desalination plant discharges on the marine environment and the limits for real monitoring, pre- and post-abstraction, of water quality along the coast; as well as the potential health impacts of drinking water produced by land-based plants. Roberto Danovaro (Full Professor at the Polytechnic University of Marche) considers the supply of drinking water with mobile desalination plants extremely useful, clearly stating the better quality of water collected offshore. Danila Iacovelli (UNESCO Chair Professor, Polimi – Mantua Campus and Researcher in Administrative Law at the Polytechnic of Milan) called for a reflection on new geo-constitutionalist theories which, although in the minority, aim to recognize the priority of nature, leading to the idea of a remodeling of the constitutional structure based on environmental protection, with the consequent subjection of political power to respect for nature.

The event was promoted with the media partnership of Radio Radicale, Askanews, Italpress, TeleAmbiente, Opera2030, and SOS Terra.

L'articolo Agenda 2030 and the right to water for small islands. Sustainable alternatives for high-quality, sea-friendly water supply proviene da Marnavi.

L'articolo M/T Ievoli Star proviene da Marnavi.

The fishing vessel, which is close to running aground, currently shows no signs of hydrocarbon leakage into the sea; however, an implementation plan for prevention and environmental protection is currently underway.

L'articolo Anti-pollution intervention by the vessel “Ievoleco” proviene da Marnavi.