Worrisome news from waterfront resort areas near Gallipoli: Sand is eroding from the beaches at an alarming rate, and tourism officials fear this is putting the summer vacation season at risk in this part of the Province of Lecce.

We recently reported that Puglia’s regional government earmarked funds to replenish sand at beaches around Lecce that were damaged by heavy seas. Some contend that the area’s beaches have been eroding for the past two decades, since the removal of large boulders a mile or two from the coast that formed a natural protective reef. In discussion is the creation of an artificial reef to protect the beaches from the ravages of heavy seas, but some fear the damage cannot be reversed.

The area’s tourism economy depends heavily on summertime beach vacationers from throughout Europe. Any damage to tourism would be a grave blow to the local economy. (For more information, see www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it.)

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