Biodistricts as Integrated Territorial Models for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change Adaptation in the Mediterranean Area

The Mediterranean basin is one of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots and is highly vulnerable to climate change, desertification, and the simplification of agricultural systems. In this context, biodistricts have emerged as innovative territorial models integrating organic agriculture, participatory governance, and sustainable land-use planning. This paper examines the role of biodistricts as instruments of integrated territorial governance for biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation in the Mediterranean area, with a focus on the Lazio Region as a case study. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining a qualitative analysis of governance and regulatory frameworks with a quantitative spatial analysis of land use based on Corine Land Cover (CLC) data. In a final analytical step, an indicator-based SWOT matrix is developed to support a strategic and comparative assessment of agricultural and territorial sustainability in biodistrict areas. The analysis covers 13 biodistricts recognised by the Lazio Region, encompassing 117 municipalities. The results indicate that Lazio’s biodistricts are characterised by high agroecological complexity and a significant presence of land uses with high ecological value, including complex cultivation patterns, agricultural areas interspersed with natural vegetation, traditional permanent crops, and forested areas. More than 50% of the total biodistrict area falls within high ecological value land-use categories. These findings suggest that biodistricts can represent effective territorial instruments for implementing environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and climate adaptation policies, with potential replicability across Mediterranean regions.