News

The Birds of the Countryside

Birds, especially the common nesting species, represent excellent ecological indicators, thanks to some of their peculiar characteristics: they are animals sensitive to environmental changes, they are easily contactable especially during the reproductive period (when they show evident territorial behaviours, including singing), they allow the monitoring of habitats on a large scale and, occupying high levels of the food chain, reflect the changes also undergone by other taxa that occupy lower trophic levels.

Initial seminar of the A.M.MI.R.ARE project

The launch of the project focused on the resilience of beaches in the western Mediterranean area, will be held in Pisa on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 March at the Headquarters of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, with the active involvement of the National Center for Characterization and Protection of the coast, marine climatology and operational oceanography of ISPRA.
The event aims to organize the project activities that have obtained funding from the INTERREG Italy-France Maritime programme.

Sea robot - The challenges of marine exploration

The documentary in English "Sea robot - The challenges of marine exploration" is now also available on the website of EuroGOOS, an association of national government agencies, research bodies and private companies involved in oceanography within the intergovernmental Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), of which ISPRA is part. The documentary recounts the technological progress of recent decades applied to marine research. New technologies have revealed the splendor and richness of deep ecosystems, allowing researchers to acquire valuable data and information for the study of these environments. In addition to the extreme richness and beauty of nature, the images also show the signs of human activities: mysterious wrecks, archaeological finds and, unfortunately, waste and abandoned fishing gear

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.

ISPRA's IdroGEO platform awarded at the European Public Sector Award

The EPSA - European Public Sector Award 2023-2024 awards ceremony was held today in Maastricht. IdroGEO, ISPRA's national platform for consulting, sharing and downloading maps and data on hydrogeological instability, has received the "Good practice certificate" in the "Innovation in public administrations" category. EPSA is a European-wide awards program for public sector bodies, organized by the European Institute of Public Administration - EIPA.

IdroGeo

The European Environment Agency towards 2030

The President of ISPRA and SNPA Stefano Laporta participated today in the Management Board of the European Environment Agency - EEA, the European environmental agency.
Among the topics of the meeting are the objectives between the Management Board, Eionet National Focal Point and the Scientific Committee scheduled for Copenhagen on 12 June 2024.
The June meeting will represent the beginning of the process of reviewing the 2030 strategy of the European Environment Agency and EIONET, the European environmental information and observation network.
It will also be an opportunity to implement the involvement of different groups of stakeholders, as highlighted by President Laporta during his speech.

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.

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?"

Ferrovie dello Stato Group and ISPRA: a collaboration to combat climate change and to address sustainability issues

A collaboration agreement signed in Rome
ISPRA and the FS Group join forces to combat ongoing climate change and promote sustainable mobility, energy transition and urban regeneration. In fact, a technical-scientific collaboration agreement between ISPRA and Ferrovie dello Stato was signed in Rome, at the FS headquarters, aimed at encouraging mutual collaboration to carry out specific studies and assessments on sustainability issues. The agreement signed by Massimo Bruno, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of the FS Group and Maria Siclari, General Director of ISPRA, promotes the establishment of technical tables in order to identify concrete measures to strengthen the capacity for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

How did mammals respond to changes in human activity during the pandemic?

The results of a study conducted on a global scale which analyzed the impact on the habits of wild mammals of changes in human activities induced by the COVID-19 pandemic between 2019 and 2021 have been published in the international scientific journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. 

ISPRA at the third National Summit on the Economy of the Sea - Blue Forum

The President of ISPRA and SNPA Stefano Laporta met, at the Institute's headquarters, Giovanni Acampora, President of the Frosinone - Latina Chamber of Commerce, Assonautica Italiana and SiCamera.
During the meeting, actions for adaptation to climate change were discussed, with Blue and Green interventions to be implemented to improve the resilience of the entire ecosystem. The central theme was the sea and the strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on one of the country's main resources, also in economic terms. 
A topic that will be discussed in the next National Summit on the Economy of the Sea - Blue Forum, scheduled in Gaeta from 10 to 13 April.

ISPRA at the Rome Science Festival

From 16 to 21 April 2024 the Rome Science Festival returns to the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone with its 19th edition.

Mistakes and wonders is the theme of this edition, dedicated to the wonder that accompanies every discovery, the engine that pushes scientists to explore, ask questions and question consolidated knowledge, always going further. Wondering, even in the face of crises and problems, is the first step in seeking new answers and solutions, on a path not without missteps, failures and denials, errors.

ISPRA is the scientific partner of the event and promotes a series of initiatives.

Program

16 - 21 april 15:00 - 21:00

Mostra "Relitti, rifiuti e biodiversità nelle profondità del Mediterraneo"

16 - 21 april  15:00 - 21:00

Mostra "Meravigliosa natura, umani errori"

19 april  18:30

Che tempo farà? Incertezze nelle previsioni metereologiche

20 - 21 april 8:45 e 9:15

Le attività di ISPRA e la Tenuta Presidenziale di Castelporziano
Evento gratuito con prenotazione obbligatoria

20 - 21 april 11:00 - 15:30

Laboratorio "Mostra "Meravigliosa natura, umani errori"

21 april ore 11:00

Sottoterra nessuno può sentirti urlare

Geological survey and CARG cartography - Summer School 2024

ISPRA, in collaboration and with the support of the Italian Geological Society, the Municipality of Erto and Casso, the Friulian Dolomites Natural Park and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region, organizes the 2024 summer school of "Geological survey and CARG cartography" at the Municipality of Erto e Casso, Friulian Dolomites Park from 16 to 22 June 2024.

The Summer School aims to disseminate the methodologies and criteria of geological survey and cartography, conceptual organization of data and digital archiving system in uniformity with the criteria of the CARG Project.

The School includes days of field survey work in small groups followed by experts and will be accompanied by lectures and exercises.

Further information

World recycling day

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

ISPRA has recently published the new environmental indicators database, in the "Circular Economy" section the indicators useful for monitoring the transition towards a circular economic model in which materials are used, recycled and reused as much as possible are collected.
Among the indicators present in the section, we highlight the rate of circular use of materials which in Italy, in the period 2004-2022, went from 5.8% to 18.7%, reaching above the European average of 11.5% (2022 ).

Visit to ISPRA by the Special Advisor of the French Secretariat for Ecological Planning Barbara Pompili

President Stefano Laporta met Barbara Pompili, former Minister of the Ecological Transition until 2022, now Special Advisor for international affairs of the General Secretariat for Ecological Planning and Special Envoy of President Macron for the Water Summit that France is organizing for the 23rd September in New York, on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly.

National project on the biology and conservation of skunks and weasels in Italy

MustelaWatch.it is the Italian portal dedicated to skunks and weasels designed and created by the Italian Mesocarnivore Research Group (GrIMeC) of the Italian Theriological Association (ATIt). It contains news on the species, insights, publications, as well as distribution maps updated in real time, with recent data and new acquisitions.

FAI spring days "ISPRA: protection of biodiversity at the garden estate of Ozzano dell'Emilia"

ISPRA of Ozzano dell'Emilia takes part in the FAI Spring Days which confirm, in their thirty-second edition, one of the most important events for learning about the Italian cultural and landscape heritage.

This year ISPRA opens the doors of an important headquarters, not only in terms of landscape heritage, but also from a scientific one. For visitors to the ISPRA estate in Ozzano nell'Emilia, an exclusive opportunity opens up to discover the organisation's research activities and projects.

International Day of Forests 2024

International Day of Forests is celebrated every 21 March and represents a fundamental moment to reflect on the importance of forests for our planet. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, the day aims to highlight the fundamental role that forests play not only in the supply of timber and non-timber products (berries, mushrooms, resins, etc.), but including in providing ecosystem services such as erosion control, biodiversity conservation, climate regulation and in providing livelihoods to hundreds of millions of people.
The theme of the 2024 Day is "Forests and Innovation" and places emphasis on the essential combination of forest conservation and technological progress.

Italy-China collaboration in research and innovation applied to marine sciences

During meetings that took place from 6 to 10 March in China, ISPRA, the University of Pisa and the A. Dohrn Zoological Station gave new impetus to their collaboration with the Zhejiang University of Oceanography (ZJOU ) supported by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

From the emergency to water efficiency

On the occasion of World Water Day, Confindustria is organizing the event "From the emergency to water efficiency".

It will be an opportunity for a discussion on the management of water resources, to analyze the challenges - current and future - to identify the opportunities, critical issues and adequate responses to ensure that everyone, citizens, agriculture and industry, has fair and sustainable access to water. waterfall. The topic will be addressed from multiple points of view, thanks to the qualified participation of numerous speakers from the business world, national and local institutions and the academic world.

PNRR WED. The restoration of one of the most threatened marine environments in Europe: flat oyster habitats

In the "breeding parks" 300,000 larvae have already been obtained, the objective is to reach 1 million to be allocated to breeding

ISPRA's activities have begun for the restoration of one of the most threatened marine environments in Europe: the habitats of the flat oyster (Ostrea edulis), a native Adriatic species, in five Italian regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Abruzzo. An activity in line with the requests of the European Strategy for Biodiversity and the objectives of the recently approved "Nature Restoration Law". The operations involve the introduction of adult reproductive individuals - both collected with sustainable fishing techniques and bred - and the placing on the seabed of substrates favorable to the taking root of new generations of oysters and the formation of the reef. To support the interventions, instruments for measuring environmental parameters will be installed which will complement the data collected through specific monitoring programs.

City Nature Challenge 2024 – Take part in reporting the flora and fauna around you!

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) returns from 26 to 29 April 2024, the international citizen science initiative which since 2016 has allowed citizens from all over the world to compete amicably with each other to report the greatest number of data on biodiversity

OFFICINE EUDOSSIANA - faults, borders, gaps, horizons - conversation on engineering in transition

The meeting is organized by the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Engineering of Sapienza University as part of the FIGI project (Faculty of Engineering and Large Enterprises).
The event is dedicated to the discussion on paradigm shifts, on new horizons, on discontinuities, which involve to varying degrees all the disciplines that fall within engineering and which question the teachers of these disciplines and the students who will become engineers.

The value of the landscape as a place of interaction of natural and anthropic factors

On March 14, on the occasion of National Landscape Day, SIGEA-APS in collaboration with the Order of Geologists of Lazio and the Order of Doctors of Agronomists and Forestry Doctors of the Province of Rome, with the patronage of the Italian Federation of Doctors in Agricultural Sciences and Forestry Sciences and CATAP, is organizing the study day "The value of the landscape as a place of interaction of natural and anthropic factors".

Day of study and celebration on the figure of Quintino Sella, mining engineer

The Order of Engineers of Biella, after 140 years after his death,  intends to celebrate his relevance in its vision of the precursor of one of the 4 industrial revolutions, the second where the search for raw materials was one of the engines for development. The relevance of the figure of Quintino Sella today is linked to his desire to have wanted the drafting of a geological map useful for the exploration of the main mineral resources useful in the period of the nineteenth-century industrial revolution.

Taking care of our common home

The Pontifical Lateran University, as part of the cycle of studies in Ecology and Environment, organizes the series of seminars "Taking care of our common home". The meetings will be held on March 21st "Why the need for a change of direction?", on April 16th "How to accompany and accelerate the transition towards an ethical-socio-economic paradigm based on integral sustainability?" and on May 14 "What proposals for action?".

From balconies to urban green: good practices for the management of invasive alien species

The aim of the conference is to illustrate the delicate topic of invasive alien species and suggest the most correct gardening and green design practices to limit their spread in the environment, encouraging the use of native species for the creation of more sustainable gardens.

The PNRR for National Parks and Marine Protected Areas

Activities to strengthen technological instrumentation to improve knowledge on biodiversity are underway

National Parks and Marine Protected Areas have consistently carried out important monitoring work for years which today allows the entire scientific community to have a significant knowledge base on biodiversity. However, monitoring activities, in particular those on species and habitats, present heterogeneous characteristics and do not allow the availability of uniform and integrated information in the medium-long term for the entire system of protected areas.

Motorship Rubymar: ISPRA expert supporting the Yemeni authorities to deal with the environmental emergency

Luigi Alcaro of ISPRA has been selected by the Emergency Response Coordination Center of the European Commission, among the various candidates at an international level, to support the Yemeni authorities in dealing with the environmental emergency arising from the sinking of the motor ship Rubymar and consequently of its cargo polluting following the Houthi terrorist attack on 18 February. The ISPRA expert is called to evaluate the risk of damage to marine ecosystems deriving from the potential release into the sea of ​​the on-board fuel and fertilizer load (approximately 28,000 tonnes) and to formulate hypotheses for interventions on the wreck to mitigate the consequences of the polluting release .

Refining tools for cetacean conservation

Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) is a powerful tool employed by researchers to pinpoint critical areas essential for species survival. This tool holds particular significance when studying and conserving species like cetaceans, whose large-scale movements in the vaste marine environment pose challenges for continuous monitoring across its entire extention.