Events and News

Presentation of the book "Drought, scarcity and water crises - The contribution of research to support the definition of the water balance"

On 6 December, as part of the "Più Libri Più Liberi" event, at the CNR editions stand, there will be the presentation of the volume "Drought, scarcity and water crises - The contribution of research to support the definition of the water balance", published by CNR edizioni, to which ISPRA also contributed by drafting Chapter 1 "The hydrological balance, the availability of water resources and the water balance", the paragraph dedicated to the "Water balance and water stress" and the part relating to state of the climate.
The preface of the book is signed by ISPRA President Stefano Laporta.

The Nature Restoration Regulation: recovering river connectivity to improve land quality and adapt to climate change

The Po river basin district authority in collaboration with the CIRF is organizing the conference in Turin entitled "The Regulation on nature restoration: recovering river connectivity to improve the quality of the territory and adapt to climate change." During the meeting, the implementation process of the Nature Restoration Law will be discussed in depth, both in Europe and in Italy, with special attention to its river component. Emblematic examples of connectivity restoration from various European countries will be presented.

COP29 in Baku: A step forward in global climate transparency

ISPRA participates in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), COP29, which is held this year in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. ISPRA experts bring their contribution to the negotiations , offering technical-scientific support to the delegation of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) on a series of crucial topics in compliance with the commitments of the Paris Agreement and the prerogatives of the Institute which is the theme of Transparency. In particular, the definition of the new reporting for national greenhouse gas inventories, the information to be reported on policies and measures, and the expert review processes of the information transmitted, to be sent by 31 December 2024.

COP 29

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November.

The Baku COP 29 Presidency Plan is based on two parallel, mutually reinforcing pillars:

• the first, "enhancing ambition", combines key elements to ensure that all Parties are committed to ambitious national plans and transparency;
• the second, "enabling action", reflects the fundamental role of finance, a key tool for transforming ambition into action and reducing emissions, adapting to climate change and addressing loss and damage.

Antarctica, ISPRA participates in the 40th Italian research expedition

Among the over 140 researchers who have arrived on the most extreme continent, there is also the geologist Saverio Romeo of ISPRA, working until mid-December at the "Mario Zucchelli" Station. This is one of the two Italian research bases present in the area which, together with the Italian-French Concordia base, have been operating within the National Antarctic Research Program (Pnra) since 1985.

Kick off meeting of the MONALISA project

The Kick off meeting of the MONALISA project against land degradation and desertification will be held on 1 October in Sassari, led by the Desertification Research Unit of the University of Sassari.
The project MONALISA - MONitoring and Assessing prevention and restoration soLutIons to combat deSertificAtion s financed by the Horizon Europe program (MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04) with approximately 7.4 million euros and involves a large international consortium made up of 20 partners, 2 associated partners and 1 affiliated entity, coming from 9 EU and non-EU countries: Italy, Spain, France, Denmark, Greece, Romania, Switzerland, Tunisia and Palestine.

ISPRA joins WaterWiseEU

Communication campaign launched by the European Commission to spread awareness of water-related problems and possible solutions
According to ISPRA studies, a negative trend in the natural availability of water resources is observed in Italy.
Future scenarios outline a reduction in the volume of annual precipitation and an increase in average temperature. In 2022, our country reached an all-time low in annual water resource availability with 67 billion cubic meters of water, 50% less than the annual average for the period 1951-2023.
In 2023, the reduction in annual water resources compared to the same historical average was 18.4%. The deficit was more contained also due to the intense rainfall in May 2023 which caused the flood events in Emilia-Romagna.

The European Night of Researchers returns on 27 and 28 September: the edition 2024 of NET - scieNcE Together

The edition 2024 of the European Night of Researchers is dedicated to Maria Skłodowska Curie, a pioneer in the field of radioactivity.

A journey into science that celebrates the first person in history to win two Nobel Prizes through workshops, events and shows organized in Italy and abroad by twelve national research bodies and universities with the NET - scieNcE Together project.
The researchers from the main public research bodies and universities in our country that make up the NET network will conduct workshops, in-person and virtual tours, games and experiments, interactive conferences to bring adults and children closer to science. During the appointments, in fact, participants will have the opportunity to interact directly with male and female scientists, participate in interactive experiments and attend live scientific demonstrations, making science a fun and engaging experience for everyone, from children to adults.

Further information; https://www.scienzainsieme.it/

Press release NET – scieNcE Together

Photo gallery

Water Festival 2024

Utilitalia, the Federation of water, environment and energy companies, will organize the 2024 edition of the Water Festival in Florence from 24 to 26 September. The event will offer three days of reflections with political representatives, national and international sector experts, as well as events and demonstrations that will involve the city of Florence to reflect on the importance of this resource.

Second SNPA Conference. Dealing with water

Managing water in a changing climate

In conjunction with the anniversary of the 30 years of activity of the Environmental Protection Agencies, completing the path begun with the two preparatory conferences (Rimini November 2022 and Rome April 2023), the SNPA National Council has decided to hold the Second Conference National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA). The theme is that of water resources also seen from the perspective of climate change, in the framework of the ETE Expo (Earth Technology Expo) event which sees the Water Festival taking place within it.

Extreme events map in Italy by ISPRA

Floods, heat waves, droughts: the ISPRA extreme events map in Italy updated with information on 2023.

Presentation of the SNPA Report "The climate in Italy in 2023"

The presentation of the SNPA Report "The climate in Italy in 2023" will be held on July 11th. The Report illustrates the main elements that characterized the climate in 2023 and the variations in the climate in Italy in recent decades, also in the global and European climate context, and analyzes the average values ​​and trends of the main hydro-meteo-climatic variables and their values extremes. Furthermore, it provides insights into the climate at a national, regional and local scale, and into the most relevant and critical hydro-meteorological and meteo-marine aspects and events that occurred during the year.
The event also aims to underline the fruitful collaboration between the SNPA System and the other institutional, national and local subjects, who participated in the Report through the provision of their data and information.

Green economy finance 2024

Finance and insurance in the green transition

What will be the priorities in light of the new balance in the European Parliament? What role will banks and insurance companies play? Representatives of EU and national institutions will meet with experts, trade organizations and operators from the financial and insurance sector in the two scheduled panels. The first dedicated to "Capital Market Union and Sustainable Finance Framework: a new push to finance the ecological and digital transitions", the second on how to "Cope with climate risks: the role of insurance".

The ISPRA DG Maria Siclari will participate in the session "Dealing with climate risks: the role of insurance".

Program

Study Day 30th Anniversary of the UNCCD Convention

June 17th is the Day against Desertification and Drought, "United for the Earth". Our legacy. Our Future” is the theme chosen for 2024 and highlights the future of land management: our most precious resource for ensuring the stability and prosperity of billions of people around the world.

June 17, 2024 also marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the only legally binding international treaty on land management and drought; one of the three Rio Conventions together with climate change and biodiversity.

Desertification and Drought Day 2024

Desertification, land degradation and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with more than 40% of all land surface in the world already considered degraded.

A healthy land not only provides us with nearly 95% of our food, but much more: it clothes and shelters us, provides us with jobs and livelihoods, and protects us from worsening droughts, floods, and fires. Yet, every second, an equivalent of four football fields of healthy soil is degraded, totaling 100 million hectares each year.

The Desertification and Drought Day  it is celebrated every year on June 17th, “United for the Earth. Our legacy. Our Future” is the theme chosen for 2024 and highlights the future of land management: our most precious resource for ensuring the stability and prosperity of billions of people around the world.

June 17, 2024 will also mark the 30th anniversary of the Bonn-based United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the only legally binding international treaty on land management and drought; one of the three Rio Conventions together with climate change and biodiversity.

Desertification and Drought Day has the following objectives:

• Promote public awareness of problems related to desertification, land degradation and drought
• Present human-driven solutions to prevent desertification and reverse drought intensification
• Strengthen the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

Drought: too little water or too thirsty?

The webinar will be held on 5 June, the date on which World Environment Day is celebrated, and will have the participation of sector experts offering a multidisciplinary overview of the drought problem.

This year's theme is "Desertification, Drought and Land Restoration", a topic of crucial importance given the growing climate and environmental crisis. Celebrating this day reminds us that the health of our planet depends on our daily choices and actions, and that each of us has a role to play in protecting the environment.

World Environment Day 2024

World Environment Day has been celebrated since 1972 and represents the United Nations' main vehicle for encouraging global awareness and action for the environment.

The 2024 day, hosted by Saudi Arabia, focuses on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience with the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.

According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40% of the planet's land is degraded, directly affecting half the world's population and threatening about half of global GDP ($44 trillion). The number and duration of droughts have increased by 29% since 2000: without urgent action, droughts could affect more than three-quarters of the world's population by 2050.

Land restoration is a key pillar of the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world that is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, from 2 to 13 December 2024.

UNCDD country report 2022 Italy 

Adaptation actions to the impacts of climate change

The Aula Meridiana of the University of Genoa hosts the launch event of the Academy "Adaptation actions to the impacts of climate change", developed within the ONE-STOP-SHOP ACADEMY Action envisaged in the Genoa Action Plan adaptation plan 2050.

The Academy aims to strengthen skills on cross-sectoral issues regarding climate change and the value of adaptation in the urban context. The objective is to develop in participants an in-depth understanding and technical-operational skills regarding the measures to be adopted to reduce and compensate for the negative impacts of climate change, which are significant for social, environmental and governance aspects.

Extreme water events and indigenous populations

How can knowledge support climate adaptation measures?

On the occasion of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, the Water4All pavilion hosts on 20 May 2024 the collateral event organized as part of the SD-WISHEES project, of which ISPRA is a partner, dedicated to the theme of extreme water events and their impact on cultural and natural heritage. The project partners will discuss with experts from the populations of the areas affected by erosion, floods or drought on innovation paths useful for climate adaptation and on the topic of removing investment barriers in this sector.

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

Emissions into the atmosphere. Focus on the industrial sector

The latest edition of the ISPRA publication "Greenhouse gas emissions in Italy" is online. Reduction objectives for 2030".

The trend in greenhouse gas emissions is decreasing and, thanks to the growth in recent years of energy production from renewable sources (hydroelectric and wind) and the transition to the use of fuels with lower carbon content, in 2022 they will mark a - 21% since 1990.

Despite the positive trend, greenhouse gas emissions in Italy in the last two years continue to grow and reach a total of 413 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2022 (+0.4% compared to 2021). The constant increase in the transport sector is decisive, over 90% of whose emissions come from road transport, which compared to the previous year marks a +5% and confirms a trend that knows no pauses and exceeds 7% since 1990, a value in contrast to those of all other economic sectors which on the contrary recorded marked reductions, with the exception of waste which represents approximately 5% of the national total.

Program

Italian Emission Inventory 1990-2022. Informative Inventory Report 2024

Greenhouse gas emissions in Italy. Reduction targets for 2030

Italian Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2022. National Inventory Report 2024

EEA Report “Urban adaptation in Europe: what works? Implementing climate action in European cities”

The Report highlights how urgent it is to implement adaptation actions in cities to make them more resilient to climate dangers such as heat waves, intense rainfall, drought and provides useful indications to administrations committed to combating the impacts of climate change at urban level.

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.

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.

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 measurement of sea level

Sea level in the era of climate change, the tools for its measurement, the evaluation of coastal erosion, subsidence and the risks for the Emilia-Romagna coast are the themes of the seminar "Mean sea level: impact on the territory", organized by Arpae.

The meeting presents a reflection on the latest technical-scientific studies carried out in Emilia-Romagna and the Northern Adriatic.

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.

Alternative Sources and Climate Change

Renewables, Hydrogen, Nuclear: New Energy

Decarbonisation, investment plan on alternative sources. The importance of renewables and the analysis of alternative plans to fossil fuels, with a view to reducing emissions. How the European directives move and what positions Italy takes in the global panorama.

Green Economy Festival

The Green Economy Festival will be held in Parma from 5 to 7 April. On 5 April in the session "Climate change and adaptation in the Po river basin" an ISPRA researcher will speak on "The climate in Italy: precipitation and water resources, what is happening?"

World Water Day. In Italy in 2023 the availability of water will be reduced by 18% compared to the annual average calculated since 1951

Drought, record rainfall and floods. Better situation than in 2022

ISPRA analyzes on the availability of national water resources
The availability of water resources in the year 2023 confirms the negative trend recorded for several years in Italy, although as shown by the BIGBANG estimates (the national hydrological model created by ISPRA) it can be considered a year of recovery compared to 2022.

In Italy, the availability of water resources for the year 2023 is estimated at 112.4 billion cubic meters, compared to a total precipitation value of 279.1 billion cubic meters. However, during the year there was a certain recovery compared to 2022, the year in which the availability of water resources reached 67 billion cubic metres, the historic minimum since 1951 and corresponding to approximately 50% of the average annual availability (137 .8 billion cubic meters), calculated over the period 1951–2023.

The year 2023 recorded a nationwide reduction of approximately 18% in availability compared to the annual average of the same long period 1951–2023, the result of the combined effect of a rainfall deficit - especially in the months of February, March, September and December - and an increase in direct evaporation water volumes from bodies of water and from the ground.