Venice Lagoon Plastic Free is pleased to announce its official membership in the Small Islands Organization (SMILO), an international network of sites initially developed through overseas cooperation activities of France, which assists small islands of less than 150 km² in the sustainable management of their resources by providing financial support and technical advice. This partnership confirms VLPF’s commitment to the sustainable development of its territory, particularly the smaller islands and island communities in the Venice lagoon.
SMILO provides integrated solutions in areas such as water and sanitation, waste management, energy, biodiversity, landscape, cultural and natural heritage.
By joining SMILO, VLPF joins a global network of islands and island partners in Europe, the Mediterranean, West Africa, the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. This collaboration promotes cooperation and solidarity among islands, enabling the exchange of knowledge and sharing and resources to overcome common challenges.
It is necessary to specify that the island of Venice per se does not fall under SMILO’s eligibility criteria, which exclude islands with an area larger than 150 km² and in which bridges to the mainland exist. However, several smaller islands in the Venetian lagoon, already the subject of specific Venice Lagoon Plastic Free interventions, are eligible.
The partnership with SMILO strengthens VLPF’s ability to conceive and implement solutions borrowed from other island contexts for the management of similar issues within the framework of a decentralized international cooperation network. At the same time, VLPF becomes a resource for SMILO by relying on the expertise gained within the world heritage site of Venice and its lagoon to promote sustainable development for the benefit of the entire network for the benefit of small island communities.