Coastal Urbanization and Ecosystem Services Depletion: An Italian Case Study

The exploitation of environmental resources and the growth of urbanization significantly altered natural ecosystems, turning over time into socioecological systems strongly influenced by urban regions. Spatial structures and ecosystems are required to address a mutually reinforcing symbiosis with environment and natural resources that can no longer be postponed, to combine the conservation needs with the reduction of socio-economic inequalities. The case study concerns the Liguria Region, characterized by a strong polarization between linear coastal conurbation and hinterland. This territorial structure is responsible for the mismatch between areas that provide most of Ecosystem Services (ES) and those with the highest population and urbanization density, which, on the other hand, are configured as major demand poles. This contribution focuses on the issue of erosion and decay of ecosystem services due to the pressures exerted by urbanization and demographic dynamics, polarized between high population concentration (along coastal areas) and abandonment (in inner areas).