Francesca Santoro, Head of the UNESCO program. “We are all connected to the ocean with a simple action. He is who allows us to breathe “

In 2019, Prada began a collection made from the reborn Nylon, as a result of processing and cleaning the plastic remains collected in the oceans. But the son of Patrizo Bertili and the Luxury group of Lorentzo Bertili, Patriso Bertile and the Luxury group of Italy, the son of Prada, was not enough. This sea lover quickly realized that the initiative could not be limited to a simple product offering. Thus, the sea sea was born, an educational program, which has been supported by the Oceans of Young Generation for six years, in cooperation with the UNESCO Intergovernmental Ocean Committee (COI). In the voice of this project, Francesca Santoro is a manager of Ocean Management in UNESCO. The owner of the Doctor of Analysis and Management for University Development, these passionate Italian workers are around the world to raise awareness of states and a wide society to protect the blue continent.

MEDIME FIGARO A number – What is your link with the ocean?
Francesca Santoro.– He has always been a part of my life. I was born in southern Italy, my parents were two big lovers of the ocean. My mother, Italian professor, passed a cultural and poetic vision, while my father spoke scientifically about his health. After BAC, I went to Venice to study the sciences of the sea and the environment.

How is the ocean one of our lives, even when we live in the city?
We are all connected to the ocean with a simple action. He is who allows us to breathe. People don’t know, because we often talk about green lungs like Amazon, but besides it regulates the climate and gives us that it is in the ocean between 50 and 80% of our oxygen. Without him, there would be no life on this planet.

When is we truly concerned about your state?
I think that all this began in 2016-2017, when the general public found the terrible images of plastic pollution, these polluted areas are as large. UNESCO numbers spread and spread particles more than 170,000 billion, 1.1 to 4.9 million tons. Every day, 2000 The equivalent of the plastic plastic truck is filled in the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes. People also saw these videos of sea animals with a plastic stomach, based on the idea that the latter will arrive one day. This observation is less abstract than global warming. The other turning point is 2017, when for the first time in their history, the United Nations organized a conference in New York, which is entirely dedicated to the ocean.

In addition to plastic pollution, which are other worries?
The most important problem is the climate crisis. Over the past twenty years, heating speed has doubled, which results in a 30% ocean source, which has always affected biodiversity. Also a lot of alarming, raising sea level, which increases the frequency of extreme floods in coastal cities, as in Venice. Last year, we also noticed the water temperature in the Mediterranean naval, which can reach 29 ° C. It is completely abnormal, and this tropical heat prevents the full balance of the sea ecosystem.

The visibility brought by Prada is very important and unites a very large audience

Francesca santoro

You have been collaborating in 2019 with Prada outside their sea. Why is a fashion house commitment so important?
1% of their re-collection income is donated to the project, but we are not only related to funding issues. In terms of influence of the Ocean protection, the visibility of Prada is very important and unites a very large audience, especially young people. When UNESCO has 3.3 million followers in Instagram, Prada has 34 million. Lorenzo Berttel has been the sponsor of 2021-2030 Ocean Alliance, which has been sponsored by the United Nations since 2023. It really wants to help researchers.

Beyond the projects included in the sea, how is the educational component dedicated to new generations?
We started a number of webinars with the teachers of ten cities in the world. They conveyed this content related to their high school students with the naval universe. The latter then led to development, competition project over the ocean. In 2022, for example, it was a school in Lima, in Peru, who won. Through the money earned, he created his own NGO to educate other young people from the country in the ocean. Small flows make big rivers. We have already organized three editions and, during the latter, we have managed to rent about 35,000 students from 184 secondary schools for 56 countries. The goal of UNESCO, led by our General Director Audri Azura, is introducing education to the ocean in school programs of its member states. Brazil is the first country to engage there on April 16.

This year, Prada and UNESCO opened the first Italian center, dedicated to the knowledge of the oceans on the San Servool Island in Venice. Why is this website?
Venice is very symbolic about issues related to climate change. It is a unique ecosystem, a place between the country and the sea. This center offers outdoor seminars schools, but it also invites all citizens to come and find all tourists to understand the challenges that will happen in Venice today. Studies of 2025 predict that the city will disappear in 2100 by raising sea level. Since these shrimp swallow everything, especially the clams designed to prepare a popular spaghetti dish …

Studies predict that by raising sea levels, Venice will disappear in 2100

Francesca santoro

Ocean protection financing is estimated at $ 175 billion a year. Where and how to find funds?
This year, a turning point will be appointed by France and Costa Rica, the third United Nations, France and Costa Rica, from June 9 to 13. The question of blue finance will be important. Electricity will also be provided, on June 7, at the Monaco Institute of Oceans, Prince Albert II, one of the largest present defenders of the ocean. It is necessary to push more private partnerships. States cannot finance the needs, particularly on oceans. The urgency is there. Without data, you can’t make decisions. We also need all, schools, teachers, artists, journalists’ citizens … You don’t need to be a scientist to invest in this job. The most important thing is to learn to know this stranger better, which is the ocean.

Can we hope we are better days for our ocean?
We are divided into a complex world, but I see that a channel of interest has not seen before. Many countries and citizens feel concerned about … And I’m sure the pleasant conference will be a great success, states really come to make concrete decisions. We have already taken a giant move, in 2023, when the United Nations received the first international agreement to protect high seas after twenty years. These spheres do not fall under national jurisdictions, according to 50% of the planet’s surface, today, to today, to today, to today. This agreement will come into force as soon as it has been ratified by 60 states, 29 have already confirmed that. We have been waiting for this new legal field for a long time, it is historic.