Last 10 April our co-scientific coordinator Yana Yakushina intervened as keynote speaker and talking about light pollution regulations and the PLAN-B Project at the 1st AdriSky Project Conference – Dark Skies, Thriving Lives: Addressing Light Pollution’s Impacts on Wildlife, Biodiversity, and Human Health.
Many thanks to Tadej Pirc and the organisers for this wonderful opportunity.
It was an intense and insightful one-day event, covering a broad range of topics related to light pollution. We were particularly glad to hear so many contributions focused on the policy and regulatory landscape, including both successes and challenges.
As several countries, such as Germany and France, have introduced national light pollution regulations in recent years, now is a crucial moment to reflect on implementation, enforcement, and how to move forward. Special thanks to Sibylle Schroer for her valuable insights into the German experience.
Beyond policy, the conference served as an important platform for raising awareness of light pollution’s environmental and ecological impacts. New research was presented on its effects on various species, further highlighting the urgent need for action.
Several ongoing projects, including PLAN-B Project, AquaPLAN (Elena Maggi), DARKERSKY4CE (Dario Barghini) and others, shared their goals and upcoming efforts to improve our understanding of light pollution and explore diverse strategies for mitigation.
One key takeaway for us was the importance of involving municipalities and government agencies. The AdriSky project brings together a wide range of stakeholders, and this multi-level approach is vital. However, the discussions also revealed a familiar challenge: without clear government rules or legislation, many public bodies lack the mandate to take decisive action on light pollution.
Thank you to all who made this event so meaningful. We look forward to continuing our collaboration on light pollution mitigation and stakeholder engagement.