The Case Study of a UNESCO-Endorsed Initiative within the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development: the STOPTIGRE project on the Mediterranean island of Procida, toward a community-based and science-art transdisciplinary approach for the control of insect disease vectors

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the years 2024–2033 as the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development, designating UNESCO as the lead agency for its implementation. This global initiative underscores the pivotal role of science—basic, applied, social, and human—in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development while ensuring that the benefits of scientific progress are equitably shared across societies. The Decade emphasizes the expansion of scientific literacy, the widespread adoption of open science practices, the strengthening of global research collaborations, and the transformation of national innovation systems. At the same time, it confronts crucial barriers, including the proliferation of misinformation, insufficient investment in basic sciences, and widening inequalities in access to scientific education and infrastructure. This paper discusses the vision, challenges, and expected outcomes of the Decade, while presenting an example of a UNESCO-endorsed initiative that successfully evolved from basic research to applied science and ultimately democratized access to scientific knowledge. STOPTIGRE is a pioneering project that combines eco-sustainable vector control methods, science-art transdisciplinary approaches, Citizen science and community engagement to contrast the spread of insect vectors, such as mosquitoes. Citizen science involves citizens in research activities promoting social inclusion, sustainable development, and active citizenship, but its application still faces significant challenges to ensure effective public engagement and fully value its contribution. The project specifically aimed at addressing this challenge by developing an innovative and transdisciplinary approach, based on integrated actions of participatory science and art, for citizen engagement in eco-friendly mosquito monitoring and control. The test in the field of this approach, on the Mediterranean island of Procida, Italy, produced a significant impact both in reducing the infestation of tiger mosquitoes and in enhancing community awareness and cohesion.