By Ardit Bejko
TIRANA, July 7 – The Italian southern city of Lecce is ready to pay EUR 5 million for Albanian sand, city authorities told the local media. The decision to ask Albania for sand came after the neighboring city of Brindisi did not agree to sell sand to replace Lecce’s eroding beaches.
The beaches of Lecce are among the most harmed by coastal erosion. Over 65 percent of the beaches in the region are at risk while, overall, 45 percent of beaches throughout Italy are seriously eroding.
Though the beach has only lost a few meters, that has been enough to cause visible changes. Half of a volleyball court has been submerged, lifeguard Mario della Valle told the British newspaper, The Guardian.
Facing the loss of the San Cataldo beach, the town of Lecce considered finding the replacement sand by excavating 200,000 cubic meters of sand from out at sea, close to Brindisi’s beaches.
Brindisi’s local authorities and citizens opposed such digging and fought Lecce’s solution by protesting and collecting 10,000 signatures asking Lecce to “not touch the sand.” Michele Errico, president of Brindisi province, said Lecce’s politicians showed “real arrogance” by forgetting that the sand they wanted protected Brindisi’s beaches from erosion.
Lecce’s deputy mayor, Adriana Poli Bortone, said Errico’s reaction was “seriously prejudiced” and pushed by the rivalry between the two towns.
The conflict over the sand escalated to the point that an appeals court had to step in to settle the issue. The court ruled that the removal of sand had to stop because they would “create damage equal to, or greater, than the benefits.”
Being taken by surprise by the court ruling, the town of Lecce fell back upon neighboring Albania and its 90 kilometer long Vlora sandy beaches. “Brindisi won’t give us sand? We’ll get it from Albania,” said Poli Bortone. An analysis made of sand from different Albanian beaches concluded that Vlora’s sand is the best in Albania, Poli Bortone added.
The Albanian government has promised to cooperate and authorities from Lecce will send an official request soon, Poli Bortone said. She told local media that Albania has previously provided sand for the Greek Island of Corfu. “Why not do the same with us?” asked Poli Bortone.
