Published on 18-12-2024

On November 13, 2024, the partners of the AcquaGuard project (CORILA, the Interregional Authority for Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and the CMCC Foundation) organized the launch event in Venice. The project, part of the Interreg Italy-Croatia 2021-2027 program, aims to prevent flooding and build climate resilience through multi-risk analysis and the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). AcquaGuard is being developed in two pilot areas: one in Italy (Venice Lagoon, drainage basin, and coastal area) and one in Croatia (Karlovatz County).

The event, hosted by the Veneto Region at Palazzo Grandi Stazioni, brought together all project partners and key stakeholders from the Veneto area: local and regional authorities, experts, researchers, and representatives of organizations working on water resource management, environmental protection, and planning, as well as members of local associations.

The day included presentations, educational seminars, roundtables, and workshops aimed at:

• presenting the AcquaGuard project in the context of the “Interreg world” to the public and stakeholders. This was the first opportunity to communicate the project’s principles, distinctive features, and the benefits of using state-of-the-art methods, stimulating the interest of the attendees to participate;
• fostering a constructive dialogue and open discussion between project partners and Veneto stakeholders on topics related to climate resilience and flood risk management, with a focus on innovative approaches and more “natural” solutions (so-called Nature-based Solutions, NbS) to tackle flooding. This meeting helped build trust, transparency, and strategic alignment between the project and the interests of the involved parties.

One of the main moments of the morning was the roundtable “Lessons Learned from Other Projects to Fight Climate Change,” where experiences from other projects focused on ecosystem protection to contrast climate change, sustainable and participatory natural resource management, and the application of NbS to improve territorial resilience and manage flood risk were presented. The H2020 Rest-Coast project demonstrated how coastal environmental restoration through NbS can counteract climate change by increasing biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. The H2020 MaCoBioS project presented innovative tools to support decision-makers, developed to improve biodiversity and ecosystem management. Finally, the Interreg Italy-Croatia AdriaClim project was described as essential for developing climate change adaptation plans at the regional and local levels.

In the afternoon, the latest international guidelines for assessing climate change-related risks were presented. In recent years, the multi-risk approach has become central to managing environmental and climate-related issues. Based on the interaction of various factors, it allows for the development of a systemic and integrated vision, essential for ensuring more effective and coordinated risk management. During the session, local stakeholders were involved in conducting an initial multi-risk analysis for the Veneto pilot area, identifying and analysing the components of “hazard,” “exposure,” and “vulnerability” underlying the risk to coastal communities, infrastructure, ecosystems, and water resource management. Measures of “response” to these risks were also discussed, identifying potential synergies to maximize the effectiveness of interventions and promote an integrated approach to managing environmental and climate risks.

To enrich the discussion further, the CMCC Foundation team presented a first prototype of an AI-based tool designed to support decision-making processes related to climate change adaptation planning. The tool leverages the latest technologies to analyse data from heterogeneous sources, facilitating participatory and cross-sectoral practices for integrated planning.

The dialogue with stakeholders then shifted to exploring nature-based adaptation and prevention measures (NbS), reflecting on how these can be integrated into local decision-making processes and public policies. Furthermore, it was emphasized how a participatory approach, involving both local stakeholders and the population, can increase awareness of local risks and facilitate more effective long-term resource management.

CORILA’s contributions focused on using Nature-based Solutions for flood risk adaptation, presenting a portfolio of NbS developed within the AcquaGuard project. Specifically designed to address and mitigate flood risks, these solutions range from dune reinforcement and beach restoration to the creation of basins and expansion ponds, riverbank renaturalization, and the creation of green corridors. NbS also provide multiple benefits to the population, in addition to flood protection, including ecosystem services such as improved water quality, habitat preservation, and enhanced community well-being. During the final interactive session, stakeholders were able to evaluate the benefits and limiting factors (political, economic, and social) in the different stages of NbS implementation in the Venetian pilot area; the importance of collaboration between science, policy, and local communities was reiterated to ensure the success and durability of these actions; and concrete examples of NbS implemented in Veneto were discussed.

In conclusion, the day highlighted that climate resilience requires an integrated approach, capable of combining traditional solutions and technological innovation, but most importantly, it must be based on the strong involvement of local communities from the earliest stages. By reducing the barriers between science, regional institutions, and local actors, climate risk management can be transformed into an opportunity to improve quality of life and build a sustainable future.

Kick-off meeting video:

Project poster:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.corila.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/poster-ACQUAGUARD-07b.pdf