News

From residual risk to acceptable risk: new perspectives in landslide risk management

On May 16, 2025, ISPRA is organizing, together with CNR, ARPA Lombardia, the Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta, the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, the Autonomous Province of Trento, the University of Milan Bicocca and the National Council of Geologists and Engineers, a conference on hydrogeological instability entitled "From residual risk to acceptable risk: new perspectives in landslide risk management".

“Intrusopoly” of ISPRA at the Game Festival of Bologna

Walk along an obstacle course to meet some intruders of the marine world - alien species and waste - learn more about their secrets and reach the final goal: a healthy and clean sea!
The path is that of "Intrusopoly", the board game conceived and designed by ISPRA that will be officially presented at the Game Festival - Play 2025 from 4 to 6 April in Bologna.
The biggest Italian event dedicated to "analog" games - board games, role-playing games, miniatures, cards, for families - also hosts a scientific game pavilion this year. Some of the most important Italian research institutions and universities will animate the space with their creations: together with ISPRA, Inaf, Infn, Ogs, Cnr, IMT Alti Studi di Lucca and five universities, all with the aim of using the playful medium to disseminate knowledge.

FLORACULT 2025

FLORACULT returns for its fourteenth edition from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 April 2025.
The 2025 FLORACULT program includes workshops, installations, cultural and recreational experiences, meetings with internationally renowned researchers and artists, to delve into the most important issues related to the world of gardens, nature and the environment.
The theme of this edition is "cultivating wonder", an invitation to rediscover the beauty of nature and its inexhaustible ability to amaze us.
Also for this edition, ISPRA, the scientific partner of the event, will participate in FloraCult.

Discovering the residual vegetation of a Mediterranean forest in the heart of Rome! Citizen Science activities

The National Biodiversity Network of ISPRA is also this year a partner of the National Academy of Sciences known as the XL, the body that coordinates the initiatives of the territory of the Metropolitan City of Rome. On April 26, the Network promotes a Citizen Science activity at the Pineto Regional Urban Park that will lead participants to discover the residual vegetation of a Mediterranean forest in the heart of Rome. Participants will be accompanied by researchers from the Institute along a path of about 3 km during which the topics related to the importance of land management and the Natura 2000 Network, lichens as bioindicators and bioaccumulators for monitoring air quality will be discussed. The endemic species present along the path will be described up to the description of the residual vegetation typical of the Mediterranean environment and the species of avifauna present in the visited territory will be "listened to".

Different bodies one future

What environment do I live in? What do I eat? Can I do something to improve everyone's health? We start from here to tell the concept of ONE HEALTH, for which our health, that of animals and the environment are interconnected elements. Short films made by middle school students will be the starting point to illustrate issues related to the sustainability of human activities in marine and coastal environments. The spectators will then become protagonists by expressing their vision of the future and the concept of Diversity of bodies-One Health-one Future.

Ipazia, Galileo and the sourdough

On Sunday 30 March at 9:00 pm at Palazzo Rospigliosi in Zagarolo, ISPRA together with INAF (National Institute of Astrophysics) will hold the conference show Ipazia, Galilero and the sourdough. created as part of the NET Project - Scienza Insieme.

Together with researchers from the two institutes and two musicians, the history of space discoveries and exploration from ancient times to the present day will be retraced.

The big paradox: killing some Animals to save others

In recent decades, our relationship with animals has changed a lot. From a utilitarian attitude, we have developed a more empathetic bond, both with domestic and wild animals. This change, together with the cultural, emotional and cognitive factors that influence our way of seeing death, affects our judgment on interventions that involve the suppression of animals, even when the intent is to protect the species, as in the case of invasive species that threaten native ones.

Data, Bodies, Ecosystems: The Maps of Contemporary Health

Pollution, climate change, microplastics: how do we identify what is truly harmful to the environment and our health? Chiara Maggi, Head of the National Center for the national network of laboratories and Luisa Zuccolo, epidemiologist expert in maternal health, tell us how the data is created and how it is studied and interpreted to implement public policies that are fundamental for the health of our bodies.

Between land and sea. From disappearing sand to coastal erosion

Coasts are living, dynamic and vulnerable bodies, continually put to the test by erosion, rising sea levels and extreme events. Sand, an essential resource for beaches and seabeds, is becoming increasingly scarce and contested, fueling a global environmental crisis. Through knowledge of the delicate natural balances, the impact of human activity and climate change, the world of research is trying to define the most effective strategies to protect these fundamental natural bodies, indispensable for environmental and social well-being.

Adapting Communities

The climate crisis requires a strong common commitment to deal with the extreme weather events that increasingly hit our cities, threatening society, ecosystems and the economy. The watchword for cities is to adapt. The world of research is committed to supporting and developing strategies to make our urban areas resilient, capable of facing the threats caused by climate change, such as intense rainfall and heat waves, also through the active involvement of citizens.

Greenhouse gas emissions: 26% lower in 2023 than in 1990

Renewables drive improvement. Transport sector remains critical

ISPRA releases official data on greenhouse gas emissions in Italy

In 2023, national greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 26% compared to 1990 levels. This trend is due to the increase in energy efficiency from renewable sources, in industrial sectors and the transition to the use of fuels with a lower carbon content.

Greenhouse gas emissions also decreased compared to the previous year (2022) by 6.8% and reached a total of 385 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

However, not all sectors showed a reduction in emissions; emissions produced by the transport sector, which derive for over 90% from road transport, continue to increase also in 2023 and are over 7% compared to 1990. Despite European directives, emission levels from road transport have remained constantly high, settling at the 2014 values ​​and thus exceeding the maximum permitted ceiling.

These are the Ispra data that emerged from the latest edition of the "National Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions" communicated, in conjunction with the emission scenarios for 2055, to the European Union.

1st National Conference of the National Health Prevention System from environmental and climatic risks (SNPS)

The conference will be an opportunity for discussion, consultation and proposal, for all the bodies that make up the SNPS: Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, Prevention Departments of the Regions, ASL, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISPRA and ARPA.

The aim of the meeting is to verify the state of implementation of the regulations on health, environment, biodiversity and climate and identify the solutions needed to implement intersectoral policies in these areas.

Renewables: an opportunity to regulate and manage

On March 27th, Palazzo Montecitorio will host the conference "Renewables: an opportunity to regulate and manage", an opportunity to discuss the regulation and governance of renewable energy with industry experts, institutions and academics

Landslides: What we know and what we do to defend ourselves; what we should know and do to defend ourselves better

XLII Enivorment Day

On June 5, on the occasion of World Environment Day, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei organizes the conference "Landslides: what we know and what we do to defend ourselves; what we should know and do to defend ourselves better". The aim of the meeting is to take stock of the knowledge and technological capabilities to recognize, map, monitor and predict landslides and their impacts; to evaluate the obstacles to a full application of the available knowledge and technologies; to identify and analyze the knowledge gaps and the technological and organizational needs; and to indicate possible research and technological development activities, as well as organizational and management ones, for a more effective risk reduction, in the context of ongoing and expected environmental, climatic, economic and social changes.

BIGBANG: rain and drought divide Italy

Focus on the European strategy to make water systems resilient

World Water Day - March 22

The year 2024 was a very rainy year; this was stated by BIGBANG, the national hydrological balance model of ISPRA that provides the quantitative framework on water resources from 1951 onwards, including deficits, excess precipitation and trends in hydrological quantities (precipitation, runoff, evapotranspiration), necessary to characterize the current and future situation in the country.

The total annual volume of precipitation was estimated by ISPRA at around 319 billion cubic meters (corresponding to 1,056 mm), more than 10% higher than the annual average for the last thirty-year climatological period 1991-2020, estimated at around 285 billion cubic meters (951 mm). February was the wettest month, with a positive anomaly of +72% compared to the average value for the thirty-year period 1991-2020; on the other hand, November - normally among the wettest months - recorded a strong negative anomaly of -72% compared to the climatological average.

At regional and district level, the situation is very diverse: Northern Italy was affected by precipitation amounts higher than historical averages, which in some cases caused flooding events, such as those in Lombardy in May and in Emilia-Romagna in September and October. Southern Italy and the major islands continued to suffer significant precipitation deficits, which prolonged the drought and the related problems of water severity, even if Sardinia, in October, saw particularly intense rainfall events.

ISPRA researchers selected to draft the 2027 Methodological Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCF)

ISPRA researchers Daniela Romano and Marina Vitullo have been selected to draft the 2027 Methodological Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCF). The structure of the report was agreed during the 61st session of the IPCC in Sofia, Bulgaria, in August 2024. The selected lead authors will be responsible for drafting and revising the chapters of the report, taking into account feedback from experts and governments, and will be called to participate in meetings in the period 2025-2027.

ISPRA participation in Science Festival of Rome

From 8 to 13 April 2025, the Rome Science Festival returns to the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone with its 20th edition.
Bodies is the theme of this edition.

When we talk about bodies, our first thought goes to human bodies, with their features, shapes and functions. Bodies that, through changes and adaptations, are the result of a long biological and cultural evolution. Which in turn has also influenced the perception of the body itself, which changes depending on society and historical periods, and constitutes the foundation of social interactions and cultural dynamics, since it determines what is considered attractive or acceptable

II° National conference Citizen Science

Three days of presentations on the new horizons of Citizen Science in Italy, which will culminate in the “Citizen Science Day”, a participatory event open to all citizens.

The conference is made up of initiatives aimed at both specialists in the sector and the general public and will end with a final event, open to all with free admission. During the Citizen Science Day there will be moments of in-depth study, practical exercises, performances, activities to be carried out in the city on the themes connected to participatory science.

Environment and climate

Environment and climate is the title of the fourth meeting organized by Roma Ricerca Roma. While land consumption in Rome continues to grow, the European Regulation 2024/1991 on Nature Restoration on the contrary establishes the protection of green “empty” residues, inside the built environment, to respond to increasingly pressing needs for climate adaptation, flood control and heat island reduction.

End of Waste. Construction and demolition: a comparison between protagonists

The end-of-waste regulation for the cessation of waste qualification is a fundamental element of the National Strategy for the Circular Economy (SEC), essential for the valorisation of waste, while at the same time allowing a reduction in the consumption of natural resources and raw materials.

National conference "Protected Areas & Conservation”

As indicated by the United Nations in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), by 2030 we will have to effectively conserve at least 30% of the Planet, both on land and at sea, in addition to restoring degraded habitats and reducing human pressure on nature.

The challenge of creating new ecologically connected protected areas and managing them effectively has therefore begun and can only pass through sharing the most advanced data on the distribution of biodiversity and the most effective ways to conserve and restore it.

In this context, the National Conference “Protected Areas & Conservation” was born, with the aim of creating an exchange of knowledge and best practices on the conservation of biodiversity inside and outside protected areas to contribute at an Italian level to the objectives of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

6th RaStEM Workshop: a support tool for the design of hydrogeological risk mitigation interventions

RaStEM- Standardized Representation of Mitigation Effects - is a web gis tool developed by ISPRA with the dual purpose of guiding designers to a clear and homogeneous representation of the significant elements of a hydrogeological risk mitigation intervention and supporting them in drafting projects consistent with the criteria established by current legislation (DPCM 27/09/2021) for their financing by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE).

ISIN, from previous experience to new scenarios to ensure efficiency and security

The first ISIN conference takes place at a time in history when the debate on the country's energy policies, and in particular on the possible return to nuclear energy production, is very heated: it therefore intends to constitute a moment of discussion and reflection open to all the parties involved.

Planet Sea Film Festival

The new edition of the Pianeta Mare Film Festival in Napoli, 7-11 October, was presented on March 17, with the first city stop at the University of Genova from 5 to 9 May 2025, on the occasion of the European Year 2025 dedicated to digital citizenship education. The Pianeta Mare Film Lab with smartphones and a 5-day artistic residency in Genoa for adult students under 30 and Cinematinée for school children will be realized thanks to and with the Pianeta Mare Darwin Dohrn cultural association and the University of Genoa, with the patronage of ISPRA and with Genova Blue District and Job Centre, Genova Elettra Car Sharing, Posidonia Green Festival, Outdoor Portofino, Alle ortiche APS, Blackwave Surf School.

The contribution of scientific research for the future of our mountains

The day aims to foster a dialogue between scientific research and mountain users/stakeholders, with other Italian bodies operating in mountain areas and with some representatives of civil society. This dialogue will be structured around the research themes of the Mountain Working Group, regarding atmosphere, climate, biodiversity, cryosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and mountain medicine, also giving space to the project in collaboration between CNR and CAI "I Rifugi Sentinella del Clima e dell’Ambiente"

Italian Municipalities focus on green

Published the new ISPRA bookleet on urban nature plans 

An analysis that starts from the cities to reflect on a planning tool that is still not very widespread in Italy: the Municipal Green Plan. The study focuses on 10 Green Plans approved by Italian Municipalities starting from 2020: Torino, Vercelli, Bolzano, Padova, Rovigo, Parma, Bologna, Forlì, Livorno, Avellino, where over 2 million people live, and which intends to stimulate a reflection on this important planning tool to make the territories more inclusive and resilient. The analysis is contained in the ISPRA publication “Urban nature Plans: tools to bring nature back into our lives?" promoted and edited by the Institute with the contributions of ANCI, ICLEI and Paolo Pileri. In this publication, ISPRA offers a new vision of the city that combines natural capital and green and blue heritage with the key themes of urban sustainability, through strategies aimed at combining the increase of public greenery with environmental justice, the reduction of land consumption with adaptation to climate change, the care of greenery with active citizenship and public participation.

The ISPRA booklet also provides useful suggestions for overcoming critical issues, acting as a driving force for promoting new interdisciplinary study and research activities and as an incentive for the Green Plan to become, in the coming years, a consolidated and increasingly widespread planning practice among local administrations in Italy.

Press release (ita)

WATER resource care and universal access

Towards the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum in Rome 2026

The international conference "Water: care of the resource and universal access. Towards the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum in Rome 2026" will take place on March 21st. The meeting is from 10:00 in the Hall of Parliamentary Groups at the Chamber of Deputies.
In 2026, Rome will host the first Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum. The Forum, which until now has involved only the countries of the Mediterranean area, will for the first time also involve all the European and Balkan states.

Restoring nature in an intergenerational perspective: a dialogue between disciplines

On Thursday 27 March, LUMSA University is organizing the seminar "Restoring nature in an intergenerational perspective: a dialogue between disciplines" created for the PRIN Call 2022 PNRR "Restoring Nature for the Children of Italy" - RINASCI.

World Recycling Day

March 18 is World Recycling Day, an initiative aimed at raising awareness among citizens about the importance of recycling and the conscious use of resources, promoting practices that reduce energy use, improve the quality of water and the air we breathe and combat climate change.

ISPRA has recently updated the Environmental Indicators Database, in the “Circular Economy” section are collected the indicators useful for monitoring the transition towards a circular economic model in which materials are used, recycled and reused as much as possible.

World Water Day 2025

World Water Day is celebrated on March 22, an annual United Nations observance focused on the importance of fresh water.
With over 2 billion people living without access to clean water, action is essential to address the global water crisis. A key goal of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Water, sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030.