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Geodata in Ports: the New ISPRA Mapping of Italian Port Infrastructure

Apr 29, 2026

ISPRA Publishes Two New GeoDBs

Ports already occupied about 260 km of coastline in 2006, representing 5% of Italy’s entire low-lying coastline; by 2020, this figure had increased by 15 km, marking a 5% rise compared to 2006. The perspective changes when considering linear development—the total length of structures, piers, quays, and jetties of all port facilities—which reached 2,510 km in 2020, 20% more than what was recorded in 2006.

“We know what we can measure,” wrote Galileo Galilei, introducing the scientific method as we know it today. In response to pressing and continuous coastal erosion phenomena, as well as extraordinary events such as the recent Cyclone Harry, the agencies and institutions responsible for the safety and general management of coastal areas are taking action to monitor and measure the transformations occurring along the coastline, whether caused by natural processes or as a consequence of human activities.

For years, ISPRA has been developing and publishing national information layers with high-definition mapping of all the natural and artificial elements that characterize coastal systems. Starting from these maps—developed and integrated with sector publications, other historical cartographic references, and scientific surveys—two new GeoDBs are now being presented:

Maritime Works Framework (AOM – Assetto Opere Marittime): including the digitization and characterization of all structures that can be defined, even partially, as port works, with their specific types, functions, usage conditions, historical development, ISTAT references, ownership by territorial authorities or public administrations, and declared or estimated berths.
Port Transformation Areas (ATP – Aree di Trasformazione Portuali): including the digitization and characterization of polygons of Obstruction (occupation of seabed areas), Excavation (occupation of coastal land), and Alteration (modification of natural conditions within basins) for all coastal port works compared to their pre-construction state.

Highlight

Groundwater performs better: around 80% is in good quantitative status

The ISPRA Report “The State of Waters in Italy – Towards the 4th Management Cycle” has been published, providing a snapshot of the condition of national water bodies in relation to achieving environmental quality objectives.

In Italy, out of more than 7,700 surface water bodies (rivers, lakes, marine-coastal waters, and transitional waters), 43.6% are in good or better ecological status/potential, while just over 75% are in good chemical status. As for groundwater, out of a total of 1,007 water bodies, nearly 80% are in good quantitative status, while 70% are in good chemical status. Surface and groundwater bodies with unknown status have decreased significantly compared to the 2nd management cycle of the Water Framework Directive. By 2027, improvements are expected in achieving the environmental quality objectives set by the Directive for both surface and groundwater bodies.

These are just some of the data contained in the ISPRA Report on the state of waters in Italy – towards the 4th management cycle, prepared on the basis of information reported in the Water Management Plans – 3rd management cycle of the Water Framework Directive. By providing a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the principles and functioning of the Directive, the ISPRA Report also offers the necessary interpretative framework for understanding the statistics presented in the report itself. In addition to a detailed overview of the condition of water bodies, the pressures affecting them, and the measures needed to improve their status, the report provides the essential information base for informed and conscious reflection.