Events and News

"Report the landslide" and the IdroGEO national platform for knowledge of the territory

The event, organized by ANCI, the Liguria Region and ISPRA, is an opportunity to discuss with the Municipalities on the prevention of hydrogeological risk. Knowledge and updating of information on landslides are fundamental to effective risk prevention and management policies. The use of ISPRA operational tools will be explored in depth to support risk mitigation policies, territorial planning, planning of soil protection interventions and infrastructure design, with the aim of increasing community resilience and awareness. of citizens on local risks.

Raw materials and geomaterials: critical issues and industrial applications

On 9 and 10 December 2024, the Workshop "Raw Materials and Geomaterials: critical issues and industrial applications" will be held in hybrid form, organized by the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology (SIMP) and the national Group Georesources, Environment, Cultural Heritage (GABeC) in agreement and cooperation with the National Council of Geologists (CNG) and with the patronage of Assorisorse and SIMP.

Proposals for soil protection

World Soil Day is celebrated on 5 December, this year dedicated to the theme "Taking care of soils: measuring, monitoring, managing". The focus is on the importance of collecting accurate information and data to understand the characteristics of soils and support their sustainable management, topics particularly close to the soil activities of environmental agencies.

World Soil Day

Taking care of the soil: measuring, monitoring, managing is the theme chosen for the 2024 edition of World Soil Day
The Day aims to raise public awareness of the importance and relationship between soil and water in the creation of sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.

The aim of the 2024 Day is to highlight the importance of accurate soil data and information to understand its characteristics and support informed decision-making on sustainable soil management for food security.

This year's celebration is particularly significant as it is the tenth global celebration and, hosted by Thailand, the first celebration outside FAO headquarters, coinciding with the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention of Nations Unite on the Fight against Desertification (UNCCD) to be held from 2 to 16 December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Presentation of the Report “Land consumption, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services” - 2024 Edition

On 3 December, the 2024 edition of the Report "Land consumption, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services" by the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA), which ensures territory monitoring activities, will be presented at the ISPRA headquarters. and land consumption. The Report, together with the cartography and databases of indicators available for each Italian municipality, provides an updated picture of the land cover transformation processes and allows us to evaluate land degradation and the impact of land consumption, urbanization and infrastructure on the landscape and ecosystem services.

On the occasion of the presentation of the Report, the winning images of the 2024 Photo Contest "One shot to tell the story of change" will be presented.

Program

Minerale resources and mining activities of Kazakhstan

The Foundation of Geologists of Tuscany, in collaboration with the Embassy of Kazakhstan and the Consulate of Kazakhstan for Tuscany, are organizing the event in the form of a workshop, in which personalities and stakeholders from the mining and Kazakh economy, to illustrate the activities that have allowed this country to become the leading economy in Central Asia, one of the most important countries for energy supply to Europe, a strategic partner of Italy

The products of the GeoSciences IR infrastructure: geological data accessible to all

Thematic webinars to collect feedback on GeoSciences IR products

With the aim of collecting feedback on the products being created as part of the GeoSciences IR project, 10 thematic webinars were organized aimed at potential end users of the infrastructure, from Regional Geological Services to stakeholders up to professional geologists.

The forgotten soil: challenges and opportunities for rural and forestry areas

The event aims to start a dialogue on the topic of the abandonment of marginal lands and the progressive expansion of forest areas. Our objective is to evaluate together with experts the socio-economic and environmental implications of this phenomenon and discuss possible innovative strategies for the sustainable management of territorial resources.

What will be the GeoSciencesIR's contribution to strategies for addressing the environmental challenges of the future?

GeoSciencesIR will be the first national research infrastructure entirely dedicated to geology and will represent a "bridge" between the scientific community and those who work in the area on a daily basis. But what exactly will it contain? What will be the added value? What are the main themes and innovations?

The ISPRA documentary protagonist of the Allumiere event "Female geology. Female scientists on the move"

Saturday 30 November and Saturday 14 December 2024, MAK Museo di Allumiere
Two days dedicated to scientific reading geology for women | Scientists on the move
1st Reading | Mary Anning. An unusual life carved in stone
2nd Reading | Mary Anning. Strange creatures, those with gigantic bones from the Lyme coast.
During both events the ISPRA video documentary filmed during the scientific trekking organized on the occasion of the national mining day 2024 in the Allumiere Monti della Tolfa archaeological geomining park will be screened.

Climalab and Meteolab 2024: focus om soil and climate

The 2024 edition of Climalab (Friday 8 November) and Meteolab (Saturday 9 November) at Forte di Bard will be dedicated to the theme of soil and climate. The study of the interactions between these two elements is fundamental to understanding the complex mechanisms that regulate our planet. The soil, in fact, is not just a simple support for vegetation, but a living and dynamic system that directly affects the climate; in turn, the climate contributes to shaping the evolution and characteristics of the soil.

Thirty years since the 1994 Piemonte flood: a look at the past, the present, the future

On the night between 5 and 6 November 1994, a terrible flood hit the provinces of Cuneo, Asti and Alessandria, on the Tanaro, and the area of ​​Vercelli on the Po. Following this event, an important research activity was started in Piedmont between public bodies responsible for land management, the academic world and professionals to define guidelines for geological studies and to produce rules for the prevention of geo-hydrological risk. The conference is organized by the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Turin, by ARPA Piemonte, by the Italian Society of Environmental Geology (SIGEA) -APS, by CNR IRPI of Turin and by the Regional Order of Geologists of Pemontet and will see the contribution from the Piemonte Region, ISPRA and the Po River Basin Authority with the patronage of the CNG and the various local administrations.

Conference expert Team “Water & Land” dell'IMPEL Network

The conference of the IMPEL Network expert team "Water & Land" will be held in Venice from 29 to 31 October.
The conference, co-organised by ISPRA, opened with speeches from the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, the Director of ARPA Veneto and the Vice Rector of Ca' Foscari University. Various interventions, in person or online, also from the European Commission, in particular from DG Environment

Mining activities in the Mediterranean basin: State of the Art

The Sardegna Mining Association, in collaboration with the Order of Engineers of the Province of Cagliari, the Order of Geologists of Sardegna and the Order of Industrial Experts of Cagliari, is organizing the symposium "Mining activities in the Mediterranean basin: State of the Art". The new European legislation on critical raw materials, recently implemented by the Italian government and parliament.

Mining landscapes of medieval Italy

In the first part of the conference, starting from the Tuscan case, the Italian regional frameworks relating to the study of the exploitation of mineral resources in the Middle Ages will be presented and discussed.
The second part of the conference will be dedicated, however, to a comparison of the best strategies for the protection and valorisation of Tuscan mining landscapes.

International Day for Natural Disaster Risk Reduction

The International Day for Natural Disaster Risk Reduction, known worldwide as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, is celebrated on October 13.
The day was born at the behest of the United Nations General Assembly in 1989.
The objective of establishing this day is to send an important signal to the Governments of all the countries of the world as well as to international organizations and the global population, to reflect on the increasing frequency and consistency with which natural disasters occur.

Among the institutional tasks of ISPRA there is the collection, processing and dissemination of maps and data on hydrogeological instability referring to the entire national territory, making them available to the country for risk prevention and mitigation.
In particular, ISPRA in collaboration with the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, creates the Inventory of Landslide Phenomena in Italy, in which, to date, over 634,000 landslides have been recorded, representing 2/3 of those in Europe.

XII edition of Planet Earth Week: the National Geosciences Festival

Two itineraries in the Lazio Maremma area: geology, archeology and nature
On the occasion of the XII edition of Planet Earth Week (6-13 October 2024) ISPRA is proposing two scientific treks in the Etruscan-Roman city of Vulci, the Fiora river and the Montalto Marina beach.

ISPRA participates in the CIRAN Project

Is there a sustainable mining activity? A lot of work is being done in Europe to make this possible and ISPRA has also been participating in this effort since 2023 with the CIRAN project (CrItical RAw materials extraction in enviroNmentally protected areas - HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01-03).

Coordinated by INTRAW (International Raw Materials Observatory) in collaboration with the European Geological Services, CIRAN is working to find solutions between low impact environmental alternatives, sustainability strategies and social acceptability in order to identify protocols and guidelines that make the cultivation of those rare and strategic materials indispensable for Europe to complete the energy transition and to deal with the supply problems resulting from the current geopolitical situation.

Photo contest "Land consumption in Italy 2024"

A shot to tell the story of the change

On the occasion of the presentation of the 2024 edition of the report "Land consumption, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services" ISPRA wants to involve professionals and amateurs from the world of landscape photography and street photography to witness the effect of land consumption on the territory, of such as new construction sites, buildings, new infrastructures and industrial warehouses, logistics and large-scale retail trade, have changed and continue to profoundly change the layout of the landscape.

3rd 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 the drafting of projects consistent with the criteria established by current legislation (DPCM 09/27/2021) for their financing by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE).

World Geodiversity Day

Excursion to discover the geology and geodiversity of Monte Vettore
The third "World Geodiversity Day" will be celebrated on Sunday 6 October, proclaimed by UNESCO in 2021. Geodiversity is also considered the "silent partner of biodiversity" as it is the set of geological-geomorphological characteristics and phenomena that accompany and sometimes, they influence the development of life on earth. Geodiversity Day is a global celebration aimed at promoting its many aspects and importance for society.

Sinkholes and Underground Cavities in the municipality of Ardea

The project, led by ISPRA in collaboration with the University of Tuscia and the “Sotterranei di Roma” Association, aims to carry out a census of the underground cavities present in the urban subsoil, with the aim of mitigating the risk associated to sinkholes (sudden chasms on the surface).
During the meeting, the details of the activities already started were illustrated, including investigations in the area and collaborations with local associations and scholars in the sector.

Tor Caldara Regional Nature Reserve. Geodiversity, biodiversity and history

The reportage on the Tor Caldara Nature Reserve created by ISPRA highlights the relationship between geodiversity and biodiversity. Minerals, rocks, fossils, soils, sediments, landforms, as well as the geological and morphogenetic processes that occur on Earth and the hydrological elements that characterize it, such as rivers and lakes, constitute in fact not only the characterizing elements of landscapes, but also the basis on which biodiversity can thrive.

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.

Environmental crimes

The topic of "environmental crimes" will be addressed during a conference organized by the University of Naples "Parthenope" in collaboration with the Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Campania (Arpac) and the Italian Biologists Foundation (Fib).
The event will provide the opportunity to delve into current issues such as the fight against eco-crimes, the "weight" of environmental violations (ecomafias), the management of landfills and reclamation, the relationships between organized crime and businesses, the eco-crime of the Sarno river and other topics.

Understand the environment through maps and data

On 30 September in Turin, as part of the Terra Madre event, the conference "Understand the environment through maps and data" will be held.
Data and maps regarding highly topical environmental issues are brought together in a single, easy-to-consult place. The EcoAtlante, thanks to a series of storymaps, and the Atlas of environmental data (2024 edition), thanks to a series of maps on all the main environmental themes, are two in-depth tools on the entire national territory created by ISPRA. The Atlas and the EcoAtlante represent a real access point to environmental and territorial data with the possibility of subsequent in-depth analysis through direct connection to the databases published within the National Environmental Information System.

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

Air, water, earth, fire: the environment explored through cartography

From 25 to 27 September 2024, the Annual Conference of the Italian Cartography Association will be held in Rome, at the headquarters of the Italian Geographical Society, which brings together the state cartographic bodies on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the foundation.
The conference intends to place cartography at the basis of environmental information as an indispensable tool in the analysis of processes, with a view to integrated territorial protection. Cartography and environmental management represent the underlying theme of this sixtieth conference.

The natural monument of the Manziana caldera: the Earth breathes

ISPRA researchers in collaboration with the Lazio Region will accompany citizens to discover the geodiversity and biodiversity of Caldara. The Caldara di Manziana natural monument is a protected area in the municipality of Manziana, in the province of Rome.

Floods and hydrogeological instability: ISPRA's activities

Flood in Emilia Romagna

The rainfall in Emilia Romagna began on the morning of September 17th, continued uninterruptedly throughout the day of the 18th and, albeit with a progressive attenuation of its intensity, is also affecting the area today, September 19th.

The quantities of cumulative rainfall in the first 48 hours of the event were particularly intense, with cumulative values ​​between 150 and 300 mm. In this regard, we are publishing two maps of the cumulative rainfall in the first 48 hours of the event in Emilia-Romagna and the one with the cumulative rainfall in the regional river basins ( Date ARPAE Emilia-Romagna)

Among the institutional tasks of ISPRA is the collection, processing and dissemination of maps and data on hydrogeological instability referring to the entire national territory, making them available to the country for risk prevention and mitigation.

In particular, ISPRA in collaboration with the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, creates the Inventory of Landslide Phenomena in Italy, in which, to date, over 634,000 landslides have been recorded, representing 2/3 of those in Europe.

The Institute prepares the national mosaics of the danger for landslides and floods, based on the Hydrogeological Structure Plans (PAI) and the Flood Risk Management Plans (PGRA), drawn up by the District Basin Authorities. The areas at risk from landslides include, in addition to landslides that have already occurred, also the areas of possible evolution of the phenomena and the areas potentially susceptible to new landslide phenomena.

Every three years ISPRA publishes the Report on hydrogeological instability in Italy which constitutes the official reference framework on the hydrogeological hazard and risk for our country.

94% of Italian municipalities are at risk from landslides, floods or coastal erosion, 1.3 million inhabitants are at risk of landslides and 6.8 million inhabitants at risk of floods (ISPRA Report, 2021). We are working on the 2024 edition which will be published early next year.

All data is published on the national IdroGEO platform, an easy tool to use, even with smartphones, to promote greater awareness of the risks affecting one's territory and informed decisions on where to buy one's home or locate new economic activities.