Events and News

Climate change: soil and urban regeneration

Combating soil consumption remains a central objective for the fight against climate change. From this point of view, urban regeneration assumes a fundamental role as the only alternative to the model of expansive urban planning, whose disastrous effects, due to the loss of ecosystem services provided by the precious resource "soil", are made evident by increasingly frequent extreme climatic events. Regeneration can contribute through a network of skills and relationships between local realities to contrast the social, economic and demographic fragility of metropolitan areas.

Presentation of the third edition of Earth Technology Expo

The third edition of ETE will be held from 15 to 18 November 2023, on 21 February in Rome at the Civil Protection there will be the official presentation of the new edition. The participation of the ISPRA president, Stefano Laporta, is expected.

Award for the ISPRA video 'What flows under our feet? - Monitoring of Rome's groundwater"

On 15 February, as part of the seminar The design of water wells - Water resources: is availability changing? A comparison between universities, designers and companies”, which will be held at the Department of Geosciences of the University of Padua, the video produced by ISPRA "What flows under our feet? - The monitoring activities of Rome's groundwater" will receive an acknowledgment in the Out of Competition section of the XVIII edition “Elio Botti – Come Acqua Saliente” Award.

Conference "RaStEM: a support tool for the planning of soil protection interventions"

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

ISPRA has organized a conference, which will be held face-to-face, in which the Guidelines containing the methodological criteria and some exemplifying cases of use of RaStEM will be presented. Further implementations of the RaStEM application will be carried out with PNRR resources of the GeoScienceIR project funded by the MUR

Registration is required to participate in the conference.

Program

RaStEM: a tool to support planning and design of hydrogeological risk mitigation measures

Photo gallery

Marine Geology in Italy

On 14 and 15 February, at the headquarters of the Cnr and the Department of Earth Sciences of the Sapienza University of Rome, the 5th Conference of Italian Marine Geologists takes place.
The biennial event represents an opportunity for the entire community of marine geologists to meet and discuss their research activities.

A step forward, present and future of Italian women geologists

On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, on 11 February 2023, the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Division - Pangea - of the Italian Geological Society organizes a face-to-face and online workshop in Rome entitled: "One step forward, present and future of Italian women geologists".

Earthquake event in Turkey, February 6, 2023

An earthquake of magnitude M 7.9 was localized at 02:17 Italian time on 6 February 2023 in the south-eastern part of Turkey, on the border with Syria. The earthquake had a hypocenter about 20 km deep and was strongly felt throughout the southern area of ​​Turkey and also in Syria.

Due to the high magnitude and relative proximity to the sea, the Tsunami Alert Center-INGV had issued a tsunami alert for the Mediterranean, the alert returned at 7.15 am Italian time.

ISPRA has the task of providing real-time sea level data detected by the tide gauge network to the INGV Tsunami Warning Centre, which verifies the possibility that a specific seismic event with an epicenter in the sea, or near areas coasts, can generate a tsunami, estimating the arrival times of the waves and the potentially affected coastal stretches. INGV avails itself of the collaboration of ISPRA for the confirmation of a possible tsunami and rapidly informs the DPC which is responsible for launching the alert throughout the national territory, mobilizing all the components of the civil protection system.

Sinkholes and underground cavities: perspectives of scientific research towards the drafting of Guidelines

The conference entitled: "Sinkholes and underground cavities: perspectives of scientific research towards the drafting of Guidelines" will be held in Rome on 2 February. The topic of the study day are the sinkholes, both natural and anthropogenic, which suddenly open up in urban areas but also in rural environments. The problems still connected to the study of these phenomena will be exposed, as well as the difficulties in carrying out an effective territorial analysis in order to estimate the danger and the risk induced by the phenomenon.

The results relating to the three-year  project Moscas (Models and tools for the characterization of underground cavities) will be presented (funded by MITE, implemented by ISPRA, the University of Florence and the Federico II University of Naples) and will focus study areas investigated within the project.

Tenth Anniversary of the History of Geosciences Section of the Italian Geological Society

Italy is considered one of the founding countries of modern geology thanks to the work of excellent geoscientists who have contributed to the development of scientific thought. After the unification of the Kingdom, many of these were called to hold public offices due to both patriotic virtues and technical skills. The recovery of the roots is a fundamental basis on which the Italian geological community can found a renewal of the propulsive role it has played in the history of the nation.

Past, present and future: Antonio Cederna's integrated and current vision of the city

The model of development and uncontrolled growth of the cities of the last century appears inadequate to face the new problems and new challenges: from the deterioration of the quality of life and of the urban environment, to the advance of the climate crisis, to the impairment of natural capital , together with the protracted crisis of local development. In this scenario it becomes important to start afresh, as amply testified by Cederna's thought, from the recovery and enhancement of the cultural, historical, archaeological heritage but also, especially in the suburbs, from the heritage offered by the natural landscape, from the environmental redevelopment of buildings

IV Scientific Conference LIFE Perdix

Si terrà il 16 dicembre la IV Conferenza scientifica del Project LIFE Perdix che ha come obiettivo principale il recupero e alla conservazione della Starna italica (Perdix perdix italica), dichiarata estinta in natura. Le principali azioni del progetto sono: l’analisi genetica, l’allevamento in cattività e la reintroduzione di popolazioni vitali all’interno del sito Natura 2000 Valle del Mezzano, Zona di Protezione Speciale (ZPS IT4060008) nel Delta del Po.

Days of Geology and History

The Department for the Geological Service of Italy - ISPRA, the Italian Geographic Society and SIGEA Asp propose a study day, divided into two sessions. The first session is entitled "The biggest natural phenomena that changed history" and the second session "Seas, coasts, maritime infrastructures: landscape evolution and historical transformations"

Inauguration of the exhibition "Animals, Plants, Rocks, Minerals: The ISPRA Collections > Towards a Multispecies Museum"

Exhibition with free admission for the opening day only

A new exhibition, created in the Hall of Honor of the Palazzo delle Scienze, dedicated to the Geological and Historical Collections of the Geological Survey of Italy, ISPRA.
The exhibition, which constitutes the launch of the project for the overall musealisation of the ISPRA collections at the Museo delle Civiltà, is the result of a collaboration agreement between the General Directorate of Museums of the Ministry of Culture, through the Museo delle Civiltà, and ISPRA.

The exhibition project involves the construction of an entire exhibition wing, as the definitive museum venue for the collections, and will be completed by 2024. The ISPRA Collections, a heritage of over 150,000 fossils, animals and plants, rock and mineral samples, geological surveys , scientific instruments, busts, portraits and memorabilia, which constitute a unique documentation of the geological history of our country, will finally be returned to public use.

In the Science Hall – thanks to a new museographic lighting project – the marble inlay that Mario Tozzi created in the early 1940s as part of the decorative program of the Science Palace, designed to house the scientific exhibition of the Universal Exposition, will also be visible of Rome in 1942.

On the occasion of the opening day of the Exhibition, guided tours, presentations and performances by three contemporary artists, Adriana Bustos, Marzia Migliora and Otobong Nkanga, can be followed starting at 14.00.

Brochure

Program

Photo gallery

Press release

Geological and Historical Collections

Soils: where food begins

World Soil Day 2022 (#WorldSoilDay) and its campaign “Soils: where food begins” aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness and encouraging societies to improve soil health.

The Ministry of the Environment and Energetic Safety (MASE) for the sustainable use of the soil

Healthy soil for healthy nutrition
World soil day
The protection of the ecological balance of the soil is the prerequisite for food sovereignty, for safeguarding the quality of life and for the right to healthy food and all the goods it supplies, from wood to textile fibres, without forgetting the integrated actions for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Soil: where nutrition begins

Worl Soil day
The Department of Finance, Innovation, Public Works and Territory of the Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources are organizing a meeting on Monday 5 December 2022, at 10 am, in Aosta by the Regional observatory on land take, focused on the message launched this year by FAO "Soil: where food begins".

Digital Humanities, cultural heritage and geohistorical applications

XIV Seminar of historical-cartographic studies from the map to the GIS
The seminar aims to present case studies and proposals to support epistemological and theoretical reflection on the use of geographic survey tools in the analysis of the relationship between man and his territory.
This edition will focus in particular on how digital tools and Digital Humanities studies can dialogue with geo-historical, historical-geographical and cartographic sources for the monitoring, planning, use, enhancement and protection of cultural heritage.

World Soil Day 2022

Loss of soil fertility is one of the main degradation processes that threatens nutrition and is recognized as one of the most important global problems for food security worldwide. The #WorldSoilDay and Soil: Where Nutrition Begins campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of keeping ecosystems healthy and raising awareness of soil.

Landslides and floods in Italy: hazard and risk indicators – 2021 Edition

Italian platform on landslides

Soil consumption, territorial dynamic - Report  2022

EcoAtl@ante 

Only fertile soil will give us food security

On 3 December as part of the Festa del Bio, the meeting "Only fertile soil will give us food security" will be held.
The soil is the origin of the food we eat, but already a third of the world's land is in a state of degradation. Even in Italy, 30% of the land is desertified or in the process of desertification. In many areas of the Po Valley the fields have very low fertility percentages, below 1%: this is a problem that affects the entire agricultural world and consequently all citizens.

General States for the regeneration of the territories

During the conference, the topics of "Reclamation of contaminated sites: nodes and perspectives" of the "Circular economy and new job opportunities" of "Virtuous and fair choices for regeneration" and finally "The participation of territories" will be addressed.

Effects of climate change on the Italian economy

The presentation of the report "The effects of climate change on the Italian economy", a research project by the Bank of Italy, takes place today. The study project, included in the series 'Economics and finance' of the Bank of Italy, includes work on the impact on the Italian production system, on society and on the effectiveness of environmental policies.

Landslide Ischia: In the last 15 years, 15 hectares of soil have been consumed on the island of Ischia: on average, 10,000 m2 of new buildings per year

Nearly a third of this new land take is located in landslide-prone areas. In the image, the map of Casamicciola with data relating to soil consumption (on the left) and those relating to landslide hazard (on the right). All maps are available on the ISPRA EcoAtlante:  

ecoatlante.isprambiente.it 

Exploration of the underground world. The scientific challenge with darkness

In the era in which every corner of the planet's surface is observed by satellites, the underground environments are still a frontier of human exploration on the land. Although these ecosystems are isolated from the outside world, they have always attracted human curiosity, and only recently have they been the subject of studies that address the challenges and risks of these remote places to contribute to scientific progress.

ISPRA participates in the XXXIX Annual Anci Assembly

The XXXIX National Assembly, entitled “The voice of the country. The word to our communities”, will be held in Bergamo from 22 to 24 November 2022. It is an important appointment that involves Mayors, administrators and representatives of the institutional and business world in a focus of dialogue on the main issues of interest to the Municipalities .

The three days of work are accompanied by the ANCI EXPO review, an opportunity for the world of business and public administration to meet, for the growth and development of ambitious projects and solutions that increase the efficiency of municipalities and the well-being of citizens.

EcoAtl@nte, maps and data with a click

A new way to learn to "read" maps and data, to discover our territory. The project "At school for the environment with EcoAtl@nte, organized by ISPRA, offers a series of workshops aimed at high school students. The lessons, both theoretical and practical, will see the involvement of the participants through the use of a series of thematic maps contained in the new interactive platform created by ISPRA. A training course that helps to know and read territorial data, to understand the environmental challenges of our time.

ISPRA participates at the Science Festival of Rome

Pandemics, climate change and environmental crises demonstrate how much we need new outlooks on the present and new visions for the future. And, therefore, how much we need to explore, starting from what we know and opening up to what we don't know.

The Rome Science Festival is the ideal context to analyze the various themes, meet different people and disciplines, because it offers a rich variety of events.

In the seventeenth edition of the Festival we will talk about exploration in all areas of science, including new frontiers of art, photography, literature, with a curious look on all aspects of contemporaneity.

Regeneration and bioeconomy to protect the landscape and safeguard the agricultural soil of Rome

Starting from an in-depth study of current trends, the intention is to open a discussion on the path to quickly stop soil consumption in Rome. The goal is to propose regeneration alternatives, first of all preserving the Agro Romano, its extraordinary landscape and ecosystem services.
The participation of an ISPRA expert is expected with the intervention "The state of the soil in Italy and in Rome".

Intervention priority criteria in the Regional Reclamation Plans: start of the experimentation phase

On November 17 there will be a meeting of the Technical Roundtable, that include  15 Regions, 1 Autonomous Province and 13 ARPA. Thus begins the second phase of the activities to define the risk assessment criteria aimed at identifying the order of priority of the interventions in the Regional Plans for the Reclamation of Polluted Areas (PRB). In fact, the art. 199, paragraph 6, letter a) of Legislative Decree 152/06 assigns this task to ISPRA which has decided to share the work with the bodies involved in the matter: Regions/Autonomous Provinces and Agencies for the environmental protection.

The Table aims to test the flexibility of the methodology already identified in the first phase of the activities, presented in the workshop last May and illustrated in the Report Risk assessment criteria for priority setting of the remediation interventions (365/2022)

Copernicus: transforming data into value. The benefits for the public and private sectors

The webinar will be held on November 16 as part of the Maker Learn Festival 2022 event. The meeting will be an opportunity to talk about the Copernicus program and the enormous potential it offers in terms of job creation, innovation and growth, that is economic, social and environmental benefits.
Through a myriad of its applications, it is possible to have significant increases on the activities and operations, ordinary and extraordinary, of companies and organizations.

National Soil Hub. Comparing experiences for a national soil monitoring network

As part of the activities included by the European Joint Program on Soil (EJP Soil) and the national Soil HUB project, the meeting "National Soil Hub, Comparing experiences for a national soil monitoring network" will take place. The event, which will be dedicated exclusively to Stakeholders, is proposed as a moment of discussion and coordination for the construction of a national monitoring network to strengthen regional soil services.