This paper presents a project devoted to identifying the environmental, historical and morphologically most sensitive and vulnerable priorities of the coastlines, with a view to providing decision-makers with sensitivity index maps for the planning of preventive actions and emergency responses in the event of an unforeseen outflow of hydrocarbons. The sensitivity index maps give information established by environmental sensitivity indices (ESI), represented in the maps with different lines and colours. Due to the considerable diversity in ecosystems and morphology in the Mediterranean and on account of the unique importance of the archaeological, historic and landscape sites along the Italian coastline, the decision was taken to extrapolate the ESI values on the basis of the matrices elaborated by Cinquepalmi et al (Prevention of hydrocarbons sea pollution: Sensitivity Index Maps for the Venice Lagoon as integral component of oil-spill contingency planning and response. Environmental Coastal Regions. WIT Transaction of Ecology and the Environmental volume 25. WIT Press, 1998) in a previous study with a similar aim on the Lagoon of Venice. With respect to the previous study a more simple core set of ESI was obtained from new matrices created in order to be used in the Mediterranean ecosystems: natural coastline, water stretches and artificial features. The resultant indices identify a single number that expresses all the qualitative and quantitative traits of the Italian coastline, both for land and seascapes, in clear maps of simple use. Environmental Sensitivity Maps offer a useful contribution to the prevention of pollution from oil spills and for combating the consequences of a possible accident along Mediterranean coastlines. They also constitute the most complete database, useful both for risk response and for an Integrated Coastal Zone Management.

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For some years now the General Directorate for the Protection of Nature of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, and the Department of "Fisica Tecnica" of the "Sapienza" University of Rome have been collaborating on issues such as sustainable development in protected areas and new technologies concerning innovative low-impact materials to be used in areas of particularly high environmental sensitivity.The first case study presented for the Protected Areas deals with a pilot project in a suburban green area jointly individuated with the "Assessorato all'Ambiente" of the Municipality of Rome designed to evaluate low-impact building in contexts of environmental "Excellency", such as parkland in urban areas, city outskirts, green areas and national parks. In line with the Strategic Environmental Evaluation, the reversibility of such buildings has been evaluated with particular care, although other considerations, such as aspects related to the education towards sustainability in architecture, were also looked into.Research has been oriented towards pinpointing 'new' envelope technologies in which to assembly components and technical solutions already known as "sustainable" and/or "energy efficient" (such as coat insulation, roof garden, ecologically compatible materials such as wood, etc.), but whose combined application has not yet been tested as a whole complex system.During the realization of this 500mq eco-sustainable structures the following technologies have been included: wooden structures and sheathing for a low energy consumption and naturally recyclable material; green roof coverings; systems for water cycle management; solar collectors for hot water production and photovoltaic systems; high performance glass in terms of light transmission, solar control and thermal insulation.The second case study, coming from the experience of the pilot project, is the realization of a 15 mq infopoint that is energetically self sufficient in the