News

Forest fires: from January to July 2024 in line with the average since 2006. More serious episodes in Sicilia and Sardegna, forest cover is saved in Vieste

From 1 January 2024 to the last update available from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) on 30 July, 615 fires were detected on a national scale, covering a total area of ​​221 km2. The estimates produced by ISPRA highlight that the wooded areas affected by fire, for the first 8 months of 2024, are 40 km2 of forest surface (i.e., 18% of the total).

The trend in the area affected by forest fires in 2024, up to now, does not differ significantly from the average trend in the period 2006-2023.

Drones for environmental protection, videos of SNPA test

In recent months, several joint test of ISPRA and Arpa/Appa personnel have been held on the use of drones in the field of environmental protection.

The use of remotely piloted aircraft systems for environmental monitoring is an already widespread reality within the National Environmental Protection System. In this context, work is being done to standardize the operating procedures, with the aim of defining a common standard, also through the development of common guidelines for the National Environmental Protection System.

LIFE Conceptu Maris - LIFE project of the month on the MASE website

IFE Conceptu Maris: CONservation of CEtaceans and Pelagic sea TUrtles in Med: Managing Actions for their Recovery In Sustainability”

With their movements in the open sea in the Mediterranean, cetaceans and sea turtles find themselves dealing with a growing number of threats, including plastic pollution, maritime traffic and commercial fishing.

ISPRA with MASE at the Rimini Meeting

From 20 to 25 August ISPRA will be present at the Rimini Meeting (Rimini Fair) with a stand inside the Ministry of the Environment Square (Pavilion A3). The event, now in its 45th edition, has the title "If we are not looking for the essential, then what are we looking for?" and will be full of round tables, exhibitions, shows, cultural, sporting and children's initiatives. It will also be broadcast live on multiple digital channels and in multiple languages. The program, presented on Monday 15 July at the Embassy of the Holy See in Italy, can be consulted on the Meeting Rimini website

On August 23, the Ministry of the Environment Gilberto Pichetto Fratin will be present at the event.

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Program

Photo gallery

Marine alien species - CapSenHAR project

The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea is constantly evolving, colonized by expanding species that arrive through natural corridors, such as the Strait of Gibraltar, and by non-indigenous or alien species that are introduced through anthropogenic activities such as maritime traffic, aquaculture and the aquarium hobby or which arrive through artificial corridors such as the Suez Canal. The success of new species may be favored by climate change and/or altered environmental conditions. Some of these may become invasive and pose a threat to the environment, cause damage to the economy or represent a danger to human health.

PNRR MER: ISPRA launches sea ghostbusters to capture ghost nets and save marine flora and fauna

Description
There is a silent and often invisible threat that lurks among the waves: these are the so-called "Ghost Nets", the "ghost nets" used for fishing that are abandoned or lost at sea and represent one of the most insidious forms of pollution marine. As part of the project MER (Marine Ecosystem Restoration) financed by the PNRR, ISPRA has started the procedures to clean the water from this equipment in 20 sites along the Italian coasts of Liguria, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Sicily, Puglia, Marche , Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. The plan, which includes the removal, collection, transport, disposal and recycling of "ghost nets" will continue until 30 June 2026.

The invisible threat
ISPRA data shows that 86.5% of waste at sea is linked to fishing and aquaculture activities and 94% of these are abandoned nets, some even kilometers long. The “Ghost Nets” are extremely dangerous: the Posidonia oceanica meadows are damaged due to the physical effect of the shading and mechanical abrasion of the seabed which kills and tears the plants, many species are suffocated due to the excessive accumulation of sediments. Animal species also suffer damage because fishing gear lost at sea continues to catch millions of fish, mammals, turtles, large cetaceans and even birds in a non-selective and indiscriminate way, without human control, thus also affecting threatened and at-risk species . Once trapped by the ghost nets, they are unable to move, dying from starvation, infections and lacerations. It is estimated that ghost nets alone catch around 5% of the world's marketable fish.
As if this were not enough, the nets represent a new source of pollution: if once, in fact, they were made with hemp or cotton, today synthetic fiber deriving from plastic is the main material used, which takes hundreds of years to decompose . The nets suffocated much of the fauna present, not to mention the corals, which were seriously damaged. Furthermore, due to their adherence to the rocks, the fishing nets close every possible refuge for the fish, which are thus forced to move. They then contribute significantly to pollution from microplastics which, with their load of contaminants, can be ingested by marine organisms and enter the food web, reaching humans

The “Ghostbusters of the Seas”
This is why the Institute has already started monitoring activities to precisely identify the critical sites for the removal of these objects and preserve the local flora and fauna: a procedure that will involve a team of "Ghostbusters of the seas": highly specialized divers and wire-guided underwater robots (ROVs) with mechanical arms to cut, manipulate and remove nets at depths greater than 40 meters in compliance with a rigorous safety plan. This is not a simple cleaning, but a precise and meticulous intervention, similar to the restoration of a painting, which carefully evaluates the conditions of each site to minimize damage to animal and plant communities and maximize the recycling of recovered plastic. A fundamental step for cleaner and more sustainable seas, free from the threats of ghost nets and protected in their biodiversity.

ISPRA presented Gemma

The ISPRA General Director, Maria Siclari, and the President Stefano Laporta on Tele Ambiente presented GeMMA, the geological mining database which collects and harmonizes the data relating to all the deposits.

The database, updated as part of the PNRR GeoSciencesIR project, represents the starting point for the development of the national mining program, imposed by the EU Critical Raw Materials Act Regulation and entrusted to ISPRA.

More than 400 nests of Caretta Caretta marine turtle in Italy

To date more than 400 nests of Caretta Caretta marine turtles have been observed in Italy, mainly in Sicily, Calabria, Campania and Apulia Region. The activities of beach patrolling looking for traces and turtle nests are going on by hundreds of volunteers. Once identified, the nests are made safe to be protected against damages. These activities require significant time and efforts but are well rewarded by the great emotion aroused with the hatching of eggs. Life TURTLENEST Project of which ISPRA is a partner has signed more than 100 Memoranda of Understanding with administrations and protected areas interested in the adoption of indications provided by Legambiente, project coordinator, for a responsible management of beaches as potential nesting areas.

The memorandum of understanding between ISPRA and ENEA has been renewed for another 4 years

The President of ISPRA Stefano Laporta and the President of ENEA Gilberto Dialuce signed the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding already stipulated in 2019, lasting four years.

Among the joint activities carried out with the previous Protocol, the Pulvirus project, whose objective was to deepen the link between air pollution and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the collaboration on circular economy issues, with the updating of the Strategy National on the circular economy in support of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and with the "Facciamo circolare" communication campaign financed by the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy.

With the protocol signed today, the collaboration will continue, in particular, for the adoption of on the issues of sustainability and environmental protection, for the purposes of the energy transition, the environmental transition and the circular economy.

ISPRA in RemTech Expo 2024

From 18 to 20 September the XVIII Edition of RemTech Expo will be held in Ferrara, the Environmental Technological Hub specialized in the themes of restoration, regeneration and sustainable development of territories. This year too ISPRA will participate in numerous meetings.
There are ten segments that make up the event: REMTECH and REMTECH EUROPE remediation of contaminated sites, COAST coastal protection, ports, sustainability, ESONDA hydrogeological instability, floods, landslides, CLIMETECH climate change, mitigation, adaptation, GEOSISM seismic risk, prevention, reconstruction , INERTIA sustainable works materials, circular economy, RIGENERACITY urban regeneration, CHEMTECH innovative and sustainable chemical industry and FIRE prevention-innovation-research, fire prevention and safety of the Italian Cultural Heritage - and a special HUTTE segment dedicated to the themes of sustainability and integral well-being .

Beached Posidonia, sustainable methods for active management

The national workshop on the topic of management of beached Posidonia oceanica entitled will be held on Wednesday 24 July 2024 at the headquarters of the Cilento Vallo Diano and Alburni National Park in Castellabate. “Beached Posidonia, sustainable methods for active management”. Participating in the event are the beneficiaries of the LIFE SeaForest project "Posidonia meadows as carbon sinks of the Mediterranean", but also public institutions, scientific research and the business world, which in various capacities have developed experiences on this topic.

Observe and report the flora and fauna around you even on holiday!

let's participate in the "Biodiversity in pose" initiative of the ISPRA National Biodiversity Network dedicated to the collection and sharing of observations on fauna, flora and the natural environment made by citizens

“Biodiversity in pose” offers the possibility, thanks to the connection with the iNaturalist APP, to anyone interested and at any time, to share reports with the Network through images of nature created at both a professional and amateur level, thus constituting a channel of input for the data.

Urban Nature 2024: the celebration of Nature in the city

Let's explore the Aniene Valley Nature Reserve
The ISPRA National Biodiversity Network is a partner of the edition 2024 of Urban Nature, the initiative promoted by the WWF to spread the value and care of nature in the city. There are several events scheduled for 28 and 29 September organized in various Italian cities by the partners participating in the initiative.

The project PNRR MER in the Italian Tv channel TG1

The Director General of ISPRA, Maria Siclari, was a guest this morning on TG1 to talk about the activities of the MER - Marine Ecosystem Restoration Project.

MER is the largest project on the sea as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which sees ISPRA as the implementing body and the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security as the administration in charge of the 400 million Euro financing for 2022- 2026. The MER provides for interventions for the restoration and protection of the seabed and marine habitats, the strengthening of the national observation system of marine and coastal ecosystems and the mapping of coastal and marine habitats of conservation interest in Italian waters with the acquisition of a new naval oceanographic unit, equipped with highly technological equipment capable of probing the seabed up to 4000 m and very high resolution acoustic instrumentation.

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Urban Geo-climate Footprint -Trailer documentary

Urban Geo-climate Footprint (UGF) allows to measure how much the geological context on which a city is built interferes with the urban fabric and, consequently, provides useful information to understand how much it can do to adapt, minimizing unwanted effects.
The tool that allows this assessment to be carried out was designed by ISPRA, in collaboration with other European Geological Services, within the EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) organisation, the federation of European Geological Services, and in particular in the Urban Geology Expert Group ( UGEG).

The documentary trailer was produced in various European cities participating in the Urban Geo-climate Footprint (UGF) project. The UGF approach, with the motto "Aware, Prepared and Safe!", aims to stimulate the growth of citizens' awareness of the critical geological issues present in the territory of their cities.

A Review of the Available Tools for Identifying Key Areas for Cetaceans and Marine Turtles: A New Study by ISPRA and the University of Rome La Sapienza

Cetaceans and turtles travel great distances in the ocean and, since they often remain below the surface, gathering data about them is challenging. To address this, marine biologists frequently use species distribution models, essential mathematical tools that help predict the distribution of marine animals even in areas lacking data. To create these models, three fundamental components are necessary: species presence data, environmental data, an algorithm that describes the relationship between the species and its habitat.

Waste from Economic Activities: in 2022 production fell by 2.1%

The new edition of the ISPRA Report is online

In 2022, the conflict in Ukraine and the energy crisis negatively affected the Italian economy, causing a reduction in the production of waste from economic activities compared to 2021. Industrial, commercial, artisan, service, waste treatment and environmental remediation activities they generated a total of 161.4 million tonnes of waste from economic activities, recording a decrease of 2.1%, equivalent to over 3.4 million tonnes less compared to the previous year.

From the data collected in the latest Special Waste Report, now in its twenty-third edition, it is noted that once again it is the construction and demolition sector - with almost 80.8 million tonnes - that with the greatest total production of special waste, competing for 50% of the overall production.

Non-hazardous waste, which represents 93.8% of the total waste produced, fell by 2.7 million tonnes (-1.8%) and hazardous waste followed the same trend, decreasing by almost 680 thousand tonnes (-6, 4%). The overall figure sees non-hazardous special waste amounting to 151.4 million tonnes and dangerous waste to almost 10 million tonnes.

It is the manufacturing sector that has the greatest impact on the production of hazardous waste with 37.3%, corresponding to 3.7 million tonnes.

Infographic

Report on Waste from Economic Activities - 2024

Report on Waste from Economic Activities - 2024. Synthesis data

Online on 18th July the Report on Waste from Economic Activities - Edition 2024

The Report on Waste from Economic Activities, now in its twenty-third edition, is the result of a complex activity of collection, analysis and processing of data by the National Centre for Waste and Circular Economy of ISPRA, with the contribution of regional and provincial Environmental Protection Agencies. The Report implements a specific task required by article 189, of legislative decree. n. 152 of 3th April 2006

Extreme events map in Italy by ISPRA

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

Alien species in our seas

The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea is constantly evolving, colonized by range-expanding species that arrive through natural corridors, such as the Strait of Gibraltar, and by non-indigenous species or alien species that are introduced by anthropic activities or arrive through artificial corridors such as the Suez passage; some of these species can also be dangerous to human health as they are toxic for consumption or poisonous on contact.

In order to provide support to sea users for the recognition of new species potentially observable and fishable in our seas, including those dangerous to human health, a new booklet has been created, an updated version of the 2021 edition.

Any reports that will be sent to researchers will also contribute to monitoring the distribution and spread of these species in our waters.

Nesting of the Kentish plover

The plover Charadrius alexandrinus is a small cosmopolitan wader that prefers the shores of the sea and lakes, estuaries, salt marshes and brackish lagoons for reproduction.
The Kentish plover's nest is a simple hole in the sand where the female generally lays three eggs which are incubated for almost a month. Male and female alternate in brooding with long shifts of about 12 hours.

Land take: web application for sharing preliminary data from monitoring activities

ISPRA and the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA) reserve for the operators of Municipalities and Observatories of the Regions and autonomous Provinces the consultation of the preliminary data deriving from land take monitoring, to make the national data updating process increasingly effective and participatory.

Ministerial Conference of the G7 Science and Technology "Health and coastal resilience of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean"

The ministerial conference of the G7 Science and Technology entitled "Health and coastal resilience of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean" took place on 11 July in the spaces of the Tecnopolo of Bologna.
The event, organized by the Ministry of University and Research in concert with the European Commission as part of the Italian Presidency of the G7, turned the spotlight on the topic of health and resilience to extreme climate events in the coastal environments of the macro-region Mediterranean and Atlantic.

Celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Guardia di Finanza

"The Mediterranean, with its biodiversity, its historical, cultural, energetic and geopolitical importance, deserves our most concrete commitment, also in view of the establishment of Exclusive Economic Zones, growth opportunities for the blue economy" - so the President ISPRA, Stefano Laporta, who spoke yesterday at the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Guardia di Finanza.
"With the PNRR MER project, ISPRA is carrying out an ambitious plan for the protection of our sea. Collaboration with the Guardia di Finanza is important to achieve our objectives" said the ISPRA President.

Presentation of the first hydrogeological map of the island of Ischia

On Tuesday 16 July, in the Council Room of the Municipality of Lacco Ameno (Ischia, NA), the presentation of the first Hydrogeological Map of the Island of Ischia will be held.

The new Map is the result of the rigorous and accurate work of the experts of the Vesuvian Observatory of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV-OV) and of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences (UniNA - DiSTAR) of University of Napoli Federico II, represents an essential tool for understanding and managing the island's territory.

GeoSciences IR. A Research Infrastructure for the Italian Geological Services Network

The GeoSciences IR project financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan - PNRR has the objective of developing a research infrastructure designed to meet the needs of the Regional Geological Services. The project is carried out by a consortium made up of 3 research institutes and 13 universities, led by ISPRA, the Geological Survey of Italy. The infrastructure will provide for at least ten years open access to data, services, tools and e-learning modules relating to 12 topics in the field of geological sciences, identified as priorities by the Regional Geological Services, target users of the infrastructure. Among these: i) geological and geothematic mapping, 3D modeling and marine geology; ii) mapping, monitoring and management of geological risks; iii) exploration, exploitation and sustainability of georesources.

PNRR-PNIEC Commission of MASE. Mid-term budget and prospects for Italian permitting

The PNRR PNIEC Technical Commission of MASE is the body that carries out the environmental assessment functions under state responsibility of the projects included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and of the implementation projects of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) .

The conference, which will be held on 16 July at the University of Naples Federico II, will be an opportunity to analyze the Commission's mid-term budget and identify the activities aimed at obtaining the necessary authorizations to carry out the projects.

From marine plankton, microorganisms capable of degrading bioplastics

For the first time, thanks to the collaboration with the University of Pisa (Departments of Civil and Industrial Engineering and Biology), Aquarium-Costa Edutainment S.p.A, Azienda Servizi Ambientali ASA SpA of Livorno, Zhejiang Ocean University (ZJOU) and the joint Sino-Italian Laboratory ZJOU-ISPRA, it has been demonstrated that the microbiome associated with plankton, reared in the ISPRA laboratories, is able to metabolise plastics used in the marine environment, in a relatively short time and at ambient temperature. These encouraging results lead to new hypotheses for the biotechnological utilisation of marine plankton, particularly in the fight against bioplastic pollution and the transformation of contaminated marine matrices (bioremediation).

International Mediterranean Sea Day

The Mediterranean is a sea of ​​wonders, history, culture and beauty to be protected and enhanced: a heritage that is celebrated on 8 July through an International Day. With the PNRR's MER (Marine Ecosystem Restoration) project, ISPRA is building a laboratory to map, restore and protect one of the richest - and most fragile - marine ecosystems on our planet with the aim of safeguarding its biodiversity and handing it over to future generations .
The mapping of coastal habitats is already being developed thanks to the LiDAR sensor, one of the pillars on which this program is based which intends to trace the seabed on 7,500 km of coast, surveying over 70 seamounts and investigating remote and unknown areas.
Another highlight: the new oceanographic vessel, the result of joint work carried out thanks to the precious collaboration with the Navy, which will be able to carry out monitoring activities in deep waters.
To support monitoring activities, ISPRA is building the Mobile Oceanographic Research Unit (UMRO), a sentinel van, to monitor the state of the sea, the field of surface currents and measurement of the depth of the coastal seabed.
The strengthening of sea level measuring stations in the lagoons of Venice and Marano Grado is also underway to predict extreme events and support coastal risk management.
All data collected will be accessible through an information platform, allowing mitigation measures to be planned to address the challenges posed by climate change in the Mediterranean Sea

Rome: walking in geodiversity

On 6 October 2023, on the occasion of the second International Day of Geodiversity proclaimed by UNESCO, ISPRA together with the Italian Society of Environmental Geology organized the urban excursion "Rome: walking in geodiversity". The video shows only some of the themes and geosites visited during the urban excursion. The visits with the classes of the Marcello Malpighi Scientific High School will continue in the coming months. This activity is part of the GeoSciencesIR Project in WP2 which also deals with the valorization of the Geological Heritage and the catalog of Italian Geosites.