One of the projects undertaken by the IMEDD on the occasion of the European Week for the Reduction of Waste is to focus on the River Roya, a shared river between France and Italy that flows on the Mediterranean Sea in the Italian Border City of Ventimiglia (in Liguria region bordering the PACA region in France). Very close to this river Roya, we find the Monegasque/Italian port of Cala del Forte.
The mouth of the river Roya is also situated in a protected natural area in Ventimiglia.
Considering the situation of the Roya River with its big situation of waste, considering that for environmental concerns, no borders should exist when treating about free and open waters, and considering the historical past of this valley which passed many times from France to Italy in the time of the ancient kingdoms of France and Italy, the IMEDD proposes the idea of a federative project in the whole valley that will join, with no border, France, Italy, Monaco and Europe.
The goal is to make of the Roya River “a jewel of Europe”, considering that this river is the first natural link between France and Italy, considering that this River Roya is part of the European Environmental Public Interest as situated at the border.
The potential of the Roya River in terms of social and environmental federation
The organizations listed below are concerned by the Roya river :
- European Commission
- The French, Italian and Monegasque Governement
- The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region in France and the Liguria Region in Italy
- The department of the Alpes-Maritimes in France and the province of Imperia in Italy
- The French and Italian organizations in charge of the water issues
- The French and Italian organizations in charge of the waste treatments
- The French cities and villages situated on the Roya River and the streams or torrents that feed the Roya in France
- The Italian cities and villages situated on the Roya River and the streams or torrents that feed the Roya in Italy
- The businesses regarding the management of their waste in both French or Italian places near the Roya River
- The population of both French or Italian places near the Roya River
- The children of the Roya Valley that need to be educated in the same way in both French or Italian places near the Roya River
- The tourists (the whole Europe and world comes in this region due its attractivity). There is also a local tourism between France, Monaco and Italy in the area.
Key figures (Source: Sandre, France)
The Roya river has a total length of 59 km :
- 40 km are referenced in France
- 19 km belong to Italy.
Between the two countries, there is a border which is not useful in terms of environmental management for the treatments of the waste in the whole valley and in the river and that causes the terrible amount of waste at the end of the Roya River in Ventimiglia. The photo below clearly shows the border and the stop of territorial competencies at the border (the example concerns France that studies only its own 40 km, the rest of the 19 km is studied in Italy).
Considering the situation that implies so many public organizations in several countries, the management of the waste of the businesses, the population and the tourists in the whole valley and the complexity of solving this issue due to the border, the IMEDD proposes to all the public organizations listed above its skills in terms of creation for a federative project in the Roya Valley, placing this valley as a European Environmental Public Interest.
The IMEDD will start the project on its own to create the whole framework that should be designed to solve the waste issue of the Roya Valley, then, the IMEDD will need the support of all the public organizations quoted above to lead fieldwork researches thanks to their own researches, information and communication. The IMEDD will also need the establishment of a “Public Board” that will accompagny the realization of its mission, the goal being to have a clean Roya River and place it as an environmental sanctuary (even though, it takes time to do it through the institutional processes, it can be started locally through different coordinated initiatives).
It needs to be recalled that the IMEDD is an independant research, information and communication institute and that the IMEDD has no other interest than solving this issue of the waste in the Roya River. Therefore, the most neutral public organization to help the good realization of the preservation of the Roya River is Europe and the European Commission with the support of all the public organizations on both French and Italian sides of the border, and Monaco regarding the port.
The IMEDD will soon go on the site of the Roya River to do more information about this issue so all the concerned public organizations can be aware of the opportunity of placing the Roya River as a European Environmental Public Interest.
