News

The study of FAC - Active and Capable Faults in Territorial Planning

The conference, organized by the Order of Geologists of Lazio and the Order of Engineers of the province of Rieti, with the patronage of ISPRA and INGV, will be held on Monday 6 May. ISPRA will present the results of the studies carried out on the FACs present along the south-eastern edge of the Rieti basin, financed by the Commissioner for Earthquake Reconstruction 2016 and merged into the products of Level III Seismic Microzonation.

Flood, landslide and drought emergencies: the role of Naturalistic Engineering and NBS - Nature Based Solutions

"For effective results, interoperability is required, integrated interventions are necessary and naturalistic engineering is an important partner in a path towards correct territorial planning" - said the ISPRA DG, Maria Siclari, who spoke today at the workshop organized by AIPIN and ISPRA on the topic of hydrogeological instability and climate change as contributing causes of the frequent emergencies, the serious damage and the numerous victims that are recorded every year.
"Knowledge plays a fundamental role: ISPRA has registered 622 thousand landslides, 2/3 of the European context, Rendis 25 thousand interventions, 30% of which fall on the Natura 2000 network. Without scientifically validated data, useful interventions for the mitigation of the hydrogeological risk" - added the Director General.

During the conference, the topic of Nature-based solutions was also addressed, in English Nature Based Solutions - NBS, solutions aimed at the restoration, recovery or protection of natural processes to protect ecosystems and biodiversity, with advantages also for human well-being, are winners. European and national strategies and programmes, also supported by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), go in this direction.

Program

Video

Marine pollution caused by the dumping of wastes and other matter from ships and aircraft

ISPRA continues in the collaboration for the implementation of the London Convention and the 1996 Protocol on the prevention of marine pollution caused by the dumping of wastes and other matter.

G7 Climate, Energy and Environment: the Venaria Charter approved, from stopping coal to supporting renewables and Africa

The G7 Climate, Energy and Environment ministers met in Turin, in the Royal Palace of Venaria, from 28 to 30 April. At the end of the working sessions they adopted a Joint Declaration which gives a precise follow-up to the objectives agreed at COP 28 and sends a clear message to other countries, in particular the major economies, on the level of commitment needed to adequately respond to the challenge of change climate, in an ambitious and effective way.

Water: between risks and opportunities

The conference intends to analyze the importance of water in a world increasingly afflicted by extreme meteorological events. The conference addresses adaptation and mitigation challenges, focusing on innovative initiatives to develop resilient urban ecosystems. The topic takes on particular relevance in view of Roma Capitale's candidacy to host the World Water Forum in 2027, recognizing the city as a strategic hub for addressing global water challenges.
Two ISPRA experts will speak during the conference.

The implementing agreement for technical-scientific collaboration for the removal of ammunition residues from the seabed overlooking the exercise areas of Capo Teulada (SU) and Torre Veneri (LE) has been signed

Signed today, on the occasion of the 54th World Earth Day, established to promote the protection of our planet, the "Implementing agreement for technical-scientific collaboration for the removal of ammunition waste from the seabed overlooking the exercise areas of Capo Teulada (SU) and Torre Veneri (LE)" between the Army General Staff, represented by Brigadier General Marco De Crescenzo, Director of the Directorate for the Central Coordination of the Surveillance and Prevention and Protection Service of the EMS, and ISPRA, represented by the Eng. Claudio Numa, Head of the National Center for Environmental Crises and Emergencies and damage.

Sustainable Development Festival 2024

The Sustainable Development Festival is promoted by the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS) with the aim of raising awareness among citizens, young generations, businesses, associations and institutions on the issues of economic, social and environmental sustainability.
An opportunity to spread the culture of sustainability and achieve a cultural change that allows Italy to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda and achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Festival has also been recognized by the United Nations as an innovative and unique initiative at an international level, twice ranking as a finalist in the SDGs Action Awards.

The Forest City

The Carabinieri is organizing the international conference "The Forest City" in Rome on 29 and 30 May 2024, at the Auditorium of the National Library, with the aim of highlighting the important role of forests in the city, intended as a new approach method to promote urban and human regeneration.

New EEA-ECHA Report: safer and more sustainable chemicals? There is still much to do

Chemical substances are present in every aspect of our lives but they can represent sources of important problems both for human health and for the planet. From the results of a recent European study "EU Indicator Framework for Chemicals" conducted for the first time jointly by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) it emerges that there is still a lot of work to be done do to reduce the impact of dangerous substances on humans and the environment.

Summer school on Environmental Impact Assessment 2024: Biodiversity and Water

ISPRA, the University of Palermo, the Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment of Sicily and the Municipality of Palermo are organizing the Summer School on Environmental Impact Assessment which will take place in Palermo from 10 to 14 June 2024.

This edition of the Summer School aims to be the beginning of a series of study and in-depth activities on issues relating to environmental assessments. In particular, the focus of this first edition will be the environmental components Biodiversity and Water.

Further information

Program

II European Raccoon Meeting

The second European Raccoon Meeting will be held from 18 to 20 April 2024 in Pratovecchio Stia. EURORACCOON is a project that aims to bring together researchers and managers working on raccoons on a European scale, covering all aspects of raccoon ecology (general ecology, parasitology and infectious diseases, genetics and genomics, spatial ecology, management tools and strategies) .

Earth Day 2024 - #OnePeopleOnePlanet

On the occasion of the 54th World Earth Day, #OnePeopleOnePlanet returns, a multimedia marathon, now in its fifth edition, to celebrate Earth Day in Italy. The event is a 16-hour television relay live on Rai Play from the Nuvola di Fuksas in Rome.

The participation of the ISPRA president Stefano Laporta is expected.

Maria Siclari designated Coordinator of the ISIN Experts' Consultation

The procedures have started for the appointment of Dr. Maria Siclari as coordinator of the consultation of experts of the National Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ISIN), established in the meeting of the Council of Ministers last April 15, on the proposal of the Minister of the Environment and energy security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin

Effects of climate change in the Po Delta Park area

Climate change is progressively accentuating its effects with phenomena that are increasingly significant and impacting on our lives and the environment. The rise in air and sea water temperatures, the increasingly pronounced drought and the recent devastating flood phenomena have affected the inland areas and the coast, decisively affecting the economy and biodiversity in the Po Delta Park area.

Wrecks, waste and biodiversity in the depths of the Mediterranean

The seabed has always fascinated man and until a few decades ago what lay beyond 50 meters was shrouded in mystery. Thanks to a series of new underwater technologies developed in recent decades, such as 3D mapping, it is possible to obtain detailed images of submerged wrecks. Observing what is at great depths allows us to study biodiversity hotspots, facilitating actions to restore marine habitats.

Health, environment and climate change. Perspective 2030

The 1st national congress “Health, environment and climate change. Perspective 2030" is configured as an event of national importance - focused on the importance of openly addressing and discussing climate change and pollution - capable of underlining the crucial link between environment and health, highlighting how care for the environment constitutes a essential means for promoting health.

World Water Forum. Bali 18-25 May 2024

The 10th World Water Forum will be held in Bali, Indonesia from 18 to 25 May. The theme of this edition is Water for shared prosperity. The World Water Forum brings together political and civil society representatives, public authorities, academics and the private sector to address global challenges related to the management and sustainability of water resources.

ISPRA opens its doors to the University of Roma Tre

On April 9th, a meeting was held in the ISPRA conference room with the teachers and students of the Cartography Course of the Department of Humanistic Studies of the RomaTre University.

An opportunity to present the history of geological cartography with a view to the evolution of scientific, technological and cultural knowledge that has developed from its origins to the present day and to present research, studies, analyzes and valorization and dissemination projects in close connection with the territory.

PNRR - MER Project. Environmental monitoring in aquaculture: an underwater wireless communication network in the Gulf of Follonica

11 APRIL – NATIONAL SEA DAY

An underwater wireless communication network for environmental monitoring in the Gulf of Follonica, one of the most important production centers for national aquaculture. It is the project that Ispra is carrying out as part of the PNRR's MER (Marine Ecosystem Restoration) plan. The activities of the project began last March 14th, financed with a budget of half a million euros which will allow the monitoring of approximately 3,000 hectares in the offshore fish and shellfish farming plants in the area between Livorno and Grosseto thanks to a sort of "neural network" submarine. A project applied for the first time in Italy and unique in the Mediterranean Sea.

Press release (ita)

Environment and artificial intelligence

ISPRA at the 11th edition of Riscarti Festival: 500 artists, talks and themed days in Rome to promote anti-waste culture and sustainable development with creativity

Also this year ISPRA participates in Riscarti Festival, the creative recycling festival held in Rome, from 13 to 28 april.

Reduce impacts on the coast. Erosion, storm surges, sea level rise, heat waves

The conference, organized by the Municipality of Rome, is the fourth appointment in a series of public meetings dedicated to consulting citizens on the proposed Climate Adaptation Strategy of Rome, the capital.

The activities of ISPRA and the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano

The Castelporziano Presidential Estate is a natural area that extends for 6000 hectares and is just a few kilometers from the center of Rome. It is a unique territory, one third covered by one of the few remaining examples of mixed lowland forest. The area is home to many animal species, representing a stopping point for many species of birds. There is also a complex community of wild ungulates: roe deer, wild boar, fallow deer and deer.

Various Innovative Technological Experiences (VITE)

The “Various Innovative Technological Experiences” (VITE) conference is back, in its second edition, which will take place from 15 to 19 April 2024 in Monte Porzio Catone, organized by INAF – Astronomical Observatory of Rome and INFN – National Laboratories of Frascati , in collaboration with ISPRA, ENEA and CNR.
The protagonists of the conference will be innovative technologies for the public engagement sector, capable of guaranteeing greater public involvement and greater effectiveness in communicating science. Other themes will be virtual reality, educational robotics and the most new and high-performance currently available and the applications of these technologies in different contexts - from teaching to scientific dissemination, to inclusion, to the valorisation of cultural heritage, to educational laboratories, to games , visualization and presentation of scientific data.

Posidonia Friend

The municipality of San Vincenzo (LI) is also promoting a project this year on the theme of environment and sustainability which has Posidonia as its protagonist, a marine plant that is very present along the Tuscan coasts and of fundamental importance for the marine ecosystem.
The events will start on Friday 12 April with researchers from the ISPRA headquarters in Livorno who will hold a lesson dedicated to middle school students, and will end on 21 June with an evening open to all: the protagonist will always be Posidonia, a plant to get to know and protect

Presentation of the results of the MAPP Project

On April 19th in Ferrara, the presentation of the results of the MAPP project (Monitoring Applied to Plastics of the Po) promoted by the Po River District Basin Authority and the Foundation for Sustainable Development will take place. The project, started in June 2021, used different tools and methodologies - some completely innovative at European level - to increase understanding of the plastic litter phenomenon in the Po, integrating the knowledge already acquired in recent years with the "Po d'Amare" project and “Manta River Project”.

From reclamation to restoration: Sustainable environmental restoration

The remediation of reclaimed sites and the activities to bring them back to a second life and make them an added value for the surrounding areas: this is the focus on which the second edition of the conference "From remediation to remediation" will take place, organized by the Environment, Energy and climate, civil protection of the Lombardy Regional Council.

CARG project: geological cartography towards the future

The Geological Cartography project at the 1:50,000 scale (CARG project), after a long phase of stasis linked to the absence of financing, was able to resume its activity in 2020, thanks to important contributions contained in the 2019-2022 budget laws , in a more innovative way, through the launch of a collaborative and multidisciplinary model established between different components of the geological community: a strategic and homogeneous infrastructure present throughout the Italian territory. The geological knowledge summarized in the CARG project provides, in fact, an indispensable tool to respond to many of the sustainability objectives established in the United Nations 2030 agenda.

Canoe excursion in the Tevere river: where to find molluscs

As part of the City Nature Challenge 2024, the Italian Canoe Association (AICAN) proposes a canoe excursion in the stretch of the Tiber river between Monterotondo and Settebagni.
The initiative is aimed at monitoring molluscs in the Tiber river and is part of the activities of the participatory science project #teveremolluschifantastici...and where to find them coordinated by ISPRA.

INVISIBILIA – THE HIDDEN PLANET

A project of participatory science and immersion in nature

INVISIBILIA is a proposal for immersion in nature to promote knowledge of the Park's habitats. Thanks to the contribution of experts and the collaboration of some scientific research projects, the invisible worlds that make up the Sasso Simone and Simoncello Park will be explored with the aim of collecting useful data for the study and conservation of species of flora, fauna and fungi. The data will be collected through specific instrumentation and the use of the iNaturalist App will be encouraged through which participants will be able to send their reports in the "Biodiversity Project" of the National Biodiversity Network (NNB) of ISPRA.

National Day for the Prevention and Mitigation of Hydrogeological Risk

Climate change and challenges for land protection

The increasingly frequent extreme events present institutions, researchers and technical professionals with new challenges in the field of risk prevention and mitigation techniques. During the conference the topic of hydrogeological instability will be discussed by addressing it from different points of view in order to map the needs and offer concrete ideas.