STOPTIGRE project receives UNESCO sponsorship for the "International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development" 2024-2033

The STOPTIGRE project, coordinated by Professor Marco Salvemini of the Department of Biology at Federico II University, has received UNESCO sponsorship for the "International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development" 2024-2033, proclaimed on August 25, 2023 by theUnited Nations General Assembly.

The International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development is a global initiative that recognizes the fundamental role of science in building a better future for all. The underlying idea is simple but powerful: for ten consecutive years, the international community commits to harness the full potential of scientific research to promote sustainable development and ensure a secure and prosperous future for all humanity.

The vision is even more ambitious: UNESCO envisions a world in which science and scientific thinking are within the reach of everyone, regardless of their social, economic or geographic background. It is not just about having access to scientific discoveries, but about developing a truly widespread scientific culture-a way of thinking based on facts, research and the scientific method-that is necessary to build a sustainable future for our planet.

STOPTIGRE is one of 57 internationally selected projects to receive this recognition and the only one for Italy in the PROJECTS category. It joins two other Italian initiatives selected for the categories PROGRAMS, which has 31 initiatives (Advanced light source facilities to empower Global-South scientists for sustainable development - LAAAMP International Consortium led by UNIBA) and ACTIVITIES, which has 20 initiatives (I DO. BE PART OF THE CHANGE! FONDAZIONE IDIS - CITTA' DELLA SCIENZA).

Campania is confirmed as an international excellence on the cultural and scientific scene, adding a new prestigious UNESCO recognition to its already rich heritage, which consists of a prestigious UNESCO chair, directed by Professor Annamaria Colao, for the promotion of the population's state of health by acting on cultural, nutritional and environmental factors(https://www.unescochairnapoli.it/), and as many as twelve elements recognized as World Heritage Sites, including tangible and intangible assets.

The STOPTIGRE project, which has been active since 2015, stands out for its transdisciplinary and innovative approach, carried out thanks to the collaboration with three strategic partners: the New Technologies of Art Course of the Academy of Fine Arts of Naples, the Centro Agricoltura Ambiente "Giorgio Nicoli" of Crevalcore, and the City of Procida, and fielded for the first time in 2022 during the year of Procida Italian Capital of Culture with the Open Science initiative.

In line with the goals of the International Decade of Science, STOPTIGRE aims to develop integrated scientific approaches for the ecosustainable control of vector insects, countering the spread of invasive species and promoting direct citizen participation in monitoring and prevention actions. The specific objective of the project is to counteract on the island of Procida the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, an alien and invasive species and vector of numerous human diseases, with the direct participation of citizens, involved in "citizen-art-science" actions through innovative "community engagement" approaches. In 2024, thanks in part to the support of the INF-ACT Foundation, the project carried out a pilot experiment of releasing sterile mosquito males in Procida that resulted in a 50 percent reduction in the tiger mosquito infestation population from a selected study area.

The project is also in line with TARGET6 of the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework," which aims to "Eliminate, minimize, reduce and/or mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species on biodiversity and ecosystem services by eradicating or controlling invasive alien species, especially at priority sites such as islands."

As part of the International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development, the STOPTIGRE project will continue its eco-sustainable research and control of the tiger mosquito through participatory application of the sterile insect technique, seeking to achieve the complete eradication of this vector insect from the island of Procida, an ambitious goal not yet achieved anywhere in the world.