Chiavi di lettura geografica applicate all’ambiente. Riflessione critica sugli indicatori ambientali

This article represents the first part of a study focused on the ways to analyse and represent the environmental component of a territory according to the geographic perspective. This first article is dedicated to the theoretical reflection. The paper begins with the examination of both the technical literature on the environmental and the geographical thoughts on the natural component. Then it focuses on the critical analysis of the environmental indicators. They are analysed according to four geographical perspectives: particular attention is given to the spatial dimension, the relationships between local and non local scales, the complexity of socioeconomic and environmental relations characterizing the territory. The importance of the joint use of different and complementary indicators is highlighted.