Modelling Eco-Friendliness

Posted August 14, 2006 in News

IPS has put forward the northwestern Italian valley of Vara as a European example of a clean and ecologically friendly village. It was the first community to receive the European environmental certifications (ISO 14.001 and EMAS II ) and also won a prize for "best rural community of the Old Continent" in 2004.

While this may not be suitable model for urban development, it is important to remember that not sustainability needs to apply in rural settings too. Particularly in population dense continents, as one person's "city" is another person's farmland e.g. I read a few years ago that the population density in Australia's Brisbane was the same as throughout Bangladesh, which would have varied now but it does make an interesting point.

Vara was a rural community facing the "death sentence" of an aging population and younger people movign to the bigger cities for work opportunities. The community sat down and thought about what was required to turn their village around, and found that the environment was the key resource to exploit.

They shifted from usual commercial practices to sustainable farming techniques and began to prepare food for the local schools and to sell to nearby supermarkets and neighbouring towns. They have also begun utilise sustainable energy e.g. wind turbines and solar panels, as well as reducing their waste.

IPS put forward this town as a potential model, particularly in the European context of those living near mountains.

Source: Inter Press News Service Agency

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