Conference "Progress of LIFE RINASCE project and river restoration experiences"

At its mid-way, LIFE RINASCE Project organized its Intermediate Conference, which took place on 6 December 2016, at the headquarters of the Reclamation Consortium in Reggio Emilia.

The event was organized in two thematic sessions, coordinated by Domenico Turazza, General Manager of the Central Emilia Reclamation Consortium.

At the opening of the works, Monica Guida, Head of the Soil Protection Service brought the greetings from the Emilia-Romagna Region, and the Mayor of Gualtieri, the Deputy Mayor of Novi of Modena and the Environment Councilor of Carpi, brought the greetings representing the local administrations involved in the project.

The first session illustrated the project and the results achieved so far.

The context of the reclamation network, with its criticality and complexity, was illustrated by Paola Zanetti, Responsible of Hydraulic Network Management of the Consortium.

The technical speeches were then continued with reports on the progress of the project "LIFE RINASCE" by Aronne Ruffini, project manager of the project, which described the project approach followed, and by Marco Monaci, who amply illustrated to the present the work done so far.

The speech was then passed to Daniele Galli, a professor at the “Zanelli” school of Reggio Emilia, with a detailed report on the monitoring techniques adopted and the first results obtained.

The first session ended with the contribution of Alfredo Caggianelli of the Region's Soil Defense Service, which illustrated to the presents the activities of communication and participation carried out by the Region as associated beneficiary of the project.

The second session was devoted to some river restoration experiences both at national and European level.

Outi Wahlroos, of the Department of Forestry at the University of Helsinki, illustrated the LIFE Urban Oases Project. This project aims to demonstrate how landscapes, that are constructed and designed in an innovative approach, can restore and / or introduce aquatic environments in urban areas, boosting hydraulic security and ensuring ecosystem services.

Ileana Schipani, Mayor of the Municipality of Scontrone (AQ), then spoke about the restoration of the Sangro River.

The recent history of the Sangro River is an emblematic example of poor management of the rivers and the territory.

In 1981, an expensive pipeline project was started between Villa Scontrone and Castel di Sangro, in order to protect the surrounding territories from the flooding of the river.

An intervention carried out in the absence of an appropriate assessment of the relationship between costs and benefits that resulted in the violent transformation of some kilometers of a highly natural streambed into a narrow cement duct.

The municipal administrations of Scontrone and Castel di Sangro - in collaboration with the Civil Engineering Service of the Abruzzo Region - have started an extensive redevelopment project aiming at the restoration of a more natural riverbed, consistent with the recent and current conditions of the River.

The planned works respond to the logic of integration between the goals of reducing hydraulic risk and morphological dynamics with those of improving ecological status, returning space to the river, allowing it to spread within its plain and to restore a better geomorphological equilibrium in the affected section.

The existing works of channeling and demolition of bank defenses are then being dismantled in all the sections in which these structures, largely already undisturbed, have lost any hydraulic functionality.

The second session was concluded with the contribution of Gianbattista Bischetti, Professor of Agricultural Hydraulics and Forestry Systems at the University of Milan, which illustrated some experiences of environmental restoration of rural streams in Lombardy.

The conference was a success, with a wide public of agronomists, geologists, public bodies technicians and university students, for over 100 participants.

Presentations: