News

KARC 2026: ECHA Identifies New Research Priorities to Strengthen Chemical Safety

The Key Areas of Regulatory Challenge (KARC) report was originally developed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to support activities under the Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC), a Horizon Europe programme aimed at advancing chemical risk assessment and strengthening collaboration between scientists and regulatory authorities. The initiative was established with the primary objective of addressing existing gaps in regulatory science and providing scientific evidence to support the implementation and further development of European Union chemicals legislation.

In this context, ECHA has published the June 2026 update of the KARC report, identifying new areas of regulatory scientific research needed to enhance the protection of human health and the environment. The document broadens the scope of action to address global challenges related to pollution and biodiversity loss in a targeted manner, enabling a more comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts while promoting safe innovation and the circular use of materials.

RAC-77: ECHA Risk Assessment Committee Recommends Classification of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA) as Reproductive Toxic and PMT/vPvM Substance

During the 77th plenary meeting of the European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) Risk Assessment Committee (RAC-77), held from 1 to 5 June 2026, the scientific opinion on the proposal for the harmonised classification of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (the CLP Regulation) was unanimously adopted. The proposal had been submitted by the German regulatory authority, BAuA (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).

Blues in Campus

Blues in Campus returns on June 24th, the festival where music and science meet and intertwine, generating new awareness and sensibilities.
This year's central theme is the city; the relationships between humans and the urban fabric are analyzed through scientific data and satellite imagery, but also from the perspective of music and artistic creation.

The Hidden City

ISPRA Presents the Updated Map of Rome’s Underground Cavities

The 2026 Density Map of Rome’s Underground Cavities highlights that more than 100 km² of the Eternal City’s territory is affected by the presence of underground voids, while nearly 61 km² fall within areas characterized by a high density of cavities. The highest concentrations are found in Municipalities I, II, IV, V, and VIII, corresponding to areas historically affected by the extraction of pozzolana and tuff, as well as by the presence of extensive catacomb systems. In contrast, the northwestern and western sectors of the urban area show a lower concentration of cavities, reflecting the different lithological characteristics of the outcropping rocks and the lower intensity of past quarrying activities.

These findings emerge from the Update of the Map of Rome’s Underground Cavities 2026, prepared by ISPRA’s Department for the Geological Survey of Italy in collaboration with the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (CNR-IGAG) and the University of Tuscia. The map was presented today at the Appia Antica Regional Park.

The map is conceived as a dynamic and continuously evolving tool, subject to periodic revisions through the incorporation of new data, additional surveys, and the progressive improvement of positional accuracy. This process also benefits from advances in surveying and georeferencing technologies.

Overall, the project compiled approximately 5,600 point records (indicating the presence of cavities whose full extent is unknown) and 1,600 linear and polygonal records (representing the development of underground tunnels or the general footprint and, where available, the precise layout of cavities). These data refer to various types of underground structures, including quarries, catacombs, hypogea, hydraulic tunnels, and underground infrastructure, covering an area of approximately 350 km² of Rome’s urban territory characterized by the presence of subterranean systems.

The study updates the map originally produced by ISPRA in 2017, in collaboration with Roma Capitale and the speleological associations Roma Sotterranea and Sotterranei di Roma. The dataset is based on the integration of bibliographic sources, historical cartographic archives, archaeological maps, and direct field investigations.

Why Rome?

Rome is underlain by a complex network of human-made underground cavities, whose full extent remains only partially known. These cavities are the result of more than two thousand years of excavation and subsurface exploitation, carried out with varying intensity from the Roman era through the mid-twentieth century.

The presence of these underground voids constitutes one of the main triggering factors for ground collapses and anthropogenic sinkholes that affect the urban environment of Rome, making their identification, mapping, and monitoring essential for urban planning and risk management.

Maria Alessandra Gallone, President of ISPRA and the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA), stated:

“Understanding the subsurface of the Capital means understanding a fundamental part of its identity, its history, and its future. Beneath Rome’s streets, buildings, and monuments lies an extraordinary heritage, shaped by centuries of historical stratification and urban development. A thorough knowledge of the underground environment is not merely a scientific and technical necessity; it is also an essential tool for enhancing the city’s capacity to plan its future development, prevent potential hazards, and promote resources that are often invisible yet possess immense cultural, historical, and environmental value”.

2nd Summer School “Mineral Deposits”

Epithermal and Hydrothermal Deposits

ISPRA, as part of the training program of the School of Specialization in Environmental Sciences and in collaboration with the Italian Geological Society (SGI), its “Raw Materials and Mineral Deposits” Section (GGM), and the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology (SIMP), is organizing the 2nd Summer School “Mineral Deposits”, entitled “Epithermal and Hydrothermal Deposits.” The event will take place from 21 to 25 September 2026 in Monteponi, Iglesias (Sulcis).

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2026

Observed every year on June 17, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is an occasion for the United Nations to raise public awareness about land degradation and drought, while mobilizing action to protect and restore the health of the world's soils and lands. The 2026 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought will be hosted by Kenya, marking the first time in nearly a decade that the African continent has hosted this global observance.

The theme for 2026 is “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore”.

The Day will highlight the central role of the world’s rangelands in climate resilience, food and water security, biodiversity conservation, and the cultural identity of pastoral and Indigenous communities.

From the Nest on the Beach to the Open Sea: The Hidden Journey of Mediterranean Sea Turtles

Every summer, more and more people have the chance to see Caretta caretta sea turtles on Mediterranean beaches, thanks to nest monitoring and protection activities. But the big question is: where do they go when they disappear back into the sea?

For the first time at a Mediterranean-wide scale, researchers from the Life Conceptu Maris project have reconstructed the “hidden” marine life of these turtles across three stages of growth, showing that they do not all live in the same places or in the same way. On the contrary, their habitat changes with age, from young individuals to adults, almost as if they follow different pathways through the ocean.

World Oceans Day

On June 8, World Oceans Day, we also celebrate rare and astonishing creatures such as the Dumbo octopus (Insigniteuthis calypso).

It looks as though it has come straight from a cartoonist’s sketchbook, yet it lives in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea—in this video, it is found at a depth of about 1,700 meters—and is easily recognized by the small fins that resemble the ears of the famous little elephant. It is a benthopelagic cephalopod, less than 10 centimeters long, only rarely observed in the Mediterranean and, until a few years ago, known almost exclusively through accidental catches.

Thanks to seafloor exploration campaigns carried out by ISPRA as part of the PNRR MER – Seamounts project, it has been possible to document this species in its natural habitat, expanding our knowledge of the distribution and biodiversity of deep Mediterranean ecosystems.

World Environment Day 2026

The World Environment Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 and is the United Nations’ leading platform for encouraging worldwide awareness and action in support of the environment. This year, the official celebrations are taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan The official theme is “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future”. The campaign focuses on climate change and Nature-based Solutions. Its objective is to raise public awareness of the urgent need to accelerate concrete actions to address the environmental crisis, emphasizing the vital link between ecosystem protection and climate resilience.

A Day in the City: Discovering Our Urban Environment

During the "Sustainability Day", held on June 4, the award ceremony for Class IV A of IC Guicciardini – A. Baccarini Campus took place as part of the initiative "A Day in the City: Discovering Our Urban Environment" included in ISPRA's environmental education program.

Coastlines of Excellence, Seas to Protect

ISPRA, SNPA and Marevivo Join Forces to Highlight the Health of Italy’s Seas

World Environment Day and World Oceans Day

According to analyses carried out over the past four years by the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA), the latest national data on bathing water quality confirm outstanding results once again for 2026. A remarkable 94.9% of monitored marine bathing waters have been classified as “excellent”, with nearly 6,000 kilometres of coastline achieving the highest standards established under European legislation. During 2025, the System conducted approximately 30,000 water samples and monitored around 5,000 sites across seas, lakes and rivers, ensuring continuous oversight of water quality.

The results were presented today by ISPRA, the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA) and Marevivo. To mark World Environment Day (5 June) and World Oceans Day (8 June), the three organizations hosted a discussion dedicated to the sea and the protection of marine ecosystems at Marevivo’s Floating Hub.

The findings confirm the high quality of Italy’s coastlines, while also highlighting the importance of considering the marine environment as a whole. Bathing water quality is only one indicator of ecosystem health; biodiversity, habitats, seabed quality, microplastics and climate change are equally strategic aspects that must be monitored and protected to safeguard the future of coming generations.

This shared commitment also includes the activities of the MER Project (Marine Ecosystem Restoration), funded through Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). It is the most ambitious initiative ever undertaken in Italy for the restoration, conservation and protection of marine biodiversity. ISPRA has been designated by the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security as the sole implementing body, while the Ministry serves as the central administrative authority and funding provider.

The Plan includes 37 lines of action, ranging from the restoration of Posidonia oceanica meadows and native flat oyster populations to the exploration of seamounts and the deployment of the new oceanographic vessel Arcadia, a true floating marine laboratory.

Maria Alessandra Gallone, President of ISPRA and SNPA, stated:

"The sea is one of our country’s most valuable assets. The results on bathing water quality are a source of satisfaction, but they also remind us of the importance of continuing to invest in knowledge, monitoring and the protection of marine ecosystems. Protecting the sea means protecting biodiversity, territories, communities and our future”.

Rosalba Giugni, President of Marevivo, added:The partnership between ISPRA, SNPA and Marevivo is of strategic importance. It brings together scientific expertise and civic engagement to promote a broader and more integrated vision of marine health, based on safeguarding the entire marine ecosystem. Protecting the sea and its biodiversity is a shared responsibility that requires awareness, participation and widespread commitment to strengthening a culture of sustainability”.

Bathing Water Quality 2026: All Regional Data Now Available on the SNPA Website

National Parks Management Plan Status Repository Updated as of 31 March 2026

The National Park Management Plan (Piano per il Parco) is the planning instrument through which a Park Authority pursues the protection of “natural and environmental values, as well as historical, cultural, and traditional anthropological heritage.”

Through maps, diagrams, and official documents issued by the competent authorities (the State, Regions, and Park Authorities), as well as the contents of the Italian Court of Auditors’ Determination No. 13 of 13 February 2025, “Determination and Report on the Results of the Financial Management Audit of the 23 National Park Authorities” relating to the 2023 financial year, the Repository provides an overview of the current planning status of the 25 National Parks currently established in Italy.

For each National Park, users can identify the exact stage reached in the plan approval process and consult the most recent official document associated with that stage.

New GeosciencesIR Campaign Released: Practical Research for the Territory

Knowledge, Education and Innovation: GeoSciences IR Supporting Italian Geology

The evolution of Earth Sciences and the management of land and natural resources require tools that are increasingly integrated, accessible, and future-oriented. The GeoSciences IR infrastructure addresses this need by connecting scientific research with the operational practices required for the protection, management, and planning of the country.

Thanks to funding from Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), we have developed a cloud-based digital ecosystem with a strong scientific foundation. It is not merely a repository of data, but a dynamic hub designed to provide the geological community with strategic resources and continuously updated expertise.

DigitAP Project: Monitoring the Mediterranean Monk Seal and Environmental DNA in Marine Protected Areas

The field activities of the PNRR DigitAP project dedicated to monitoring the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) in coastal sites and collecting samples for experimental marine biodiversity studies through environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis have recently been completed.

In recent weeks, ISPRA, together with the scientific staff of the respective Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), has been working at several sites—including Plemmirio, Punta Campanella, Santa Maria di Castellabate, Costa degli Infreschi and della Masseta—carrying out integrated observation and sampling activities.

Specifically, in the Plemmirio and Punta Campanella MPAs, camera traps were installed inside selected coastal caves to document the presence of the Mediterranean monk seal and study its site-use patterns. With the involvement of the Egadi Islands MPA, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, and a large area of southern Apulia, the number of Italian areas participating in this ISPRA-coordinated monitoring program has now risen to five, further strengthening the foundations for the conservation of the species at the national level

Let’s play GAMed!

The Mediterranean Action Game

This is the goal of GAMed, the educational game conceived and developed by the Regional Activity Centre for Information and Communication (INFO/RAC). The project was created to bring younger generations closer to the key issues related to the protection of the Mediterranean Sea and its coastal areas, addressing topics such as UNEP/MAP, the Barcelona Convention, the role of the Regional Activity Centres (RACs), and the importance of environmental governance in a simple and interactive way.

Right to Housing

The Department of Well-being, Health and Environmental Sustainability of the Faculty of Medicine and Psychology at Sapienza University will host the meeting “Right to Housing” on June 11.

The event will include the participation of Michele Munafò of ISPRA, who will deliver a presentation focused on land consumption and soil sealing.

Guidelines for the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment studies relating to onshore wind farms published

The Guidelines serve as a technical and methodological reference for the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies, providing clear and consistent guidance for impact assessment. Comprehensive and well-structured EIAs help reduce requests for additional information from the competent authorities and limit the inclusion of environmental conditions in compatibility opinions. This results in a faster and more efficient permitting process

5° Workshop of the SETAC ILB

From 28 to 29 September 2026, the 5th Workshop of the SETAC Italian Language Branch will take place in Chioggia (VE)

The SETAC Italian Language Branch (ILB) is the Italian-language branch of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), a global non-profit organization dedicated to the study, analysis, and resolution of environmental issues, the management and regulation of natural resources, research and development, as well as environmental education.

Participation of ISPRA in the SETAC Europe 36th Annual Meeting

Founded with the aim of promoting environmental quality through science and fostering connections between scientific disciplines, regulation, and environmental management, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) annually organizes its European meeting to support informed policies and solutions to global ecosystem challenges. The annual event represents a strategic opportunity for discussion within the international scientific community, aimed at translating research into effective actions and technologies for the protection of ecosystems and human health.

Honorable Mention for IdroGEO

The 29th edition of the ADI Compasso d’Oro Award — the most prestigious recognition dedicated to Italian design and one of the most influential worldwide — took place in Milan on May 22.

The Compasso d’Oro represents a privileged observatory on design culture, capable of interpreting the industrial, social, and technological transformations shaping our time.

IdroGeo, ISPRA’s national platform for hydrogeological instability — which makes data and information accessible to citizens, technicians, and institutions, helping to strengthen awareness of territorial risks — received yet another recognition with an Honorable Mention.

Challenges in the Measurement of Nature in Official Statistics

Methodological and Communication Challenges of Ecosystem Accounting

The workshop aims to promote official statistical information on ecosystems, in line with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.

Summer School “Marine-Coastal Ecosystems and Climate Change: Chains of Connections and Resilience”

As part of ISPRA’s School of Specialization in Environmental Disciplines, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) is organizing the Summer School on “Marine-Coastal Ecosystems and Climate Change: Chains of Connections and Resilience" which will take place in the city of Trieste from 14 to 18 September 2026.

Acerra Welcomes Pope Leo XIV: ISPRA and SNPA Reaffirm Their Commitment to the “Terra dei Fuochi”

The President of ISPRA and SNPA, Maria Alessandra Gallone, the Director General of ISPRA, Maria Siclari, and the Heads of the Emergency and Remediation Center, Claudio Numa and Federico Araneo, were present in Acerra for the visit of Pope Leo XIV to the “Terra dei Fuochi”

Also in attendance were the highest State authorities, including the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council Alfredo Mantovano, Deputy Minister for the Environment Vannia Gava, the Sole Commissioner for Remediation Giuseppe Vadalà, and the Prefects of Naples Michele Di Bari and Caserta Lucia Volpe, demonstrating the concrete closeness of the institutions to a territory that for years has faced the consequences of environmental crime and continues to call for protection, restoration, and a sustainable future.

Sea La Cinquecento

Not only offshore sailing and sporting competition: this year, the historic offshore regatta “La Cinquecento” in Caorle, in the province of Venice, will also become a major environmental monitoring and marine pollution awareness initiative.

The event, organized by the Circolo Nautico Porto Santa Margherita (CNSM) from May 31 to June 6, will launch “Sea La Cinquecento” a project designed to involve sailors, sea enthusiasts, volunteers, and researchers in concrete action to protect the Adriatic Sea.

Now in its 52nd edition, La Cinquecento is considered the “queen of Mediterranean offshore regattas” The race will start from Caorle and cover the five hundred miles of the route toward the Tremiti Islands and back, passing through Susak (Sansego), along one of the most fascinating and unpredictable courses in the Adriatic Sea.

May 22: World Biodiversity Day

Greenhouse gas emissions: possible 55% reduction by 2030

Italy’s net emissions reduction by 2030 could be in line with the European Union’s 55% target.

This is highlighted in the ISPRA Report “Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Italy: Reduction Targets and Emission Scenarios”, which outlines the progress made by the country eleven years after the Paris Agreement and identifies the strategic levers needed to strengthen the decarbonization pathway.

The Report shows that the ETS (Emission Trading System), supported by the growth of renewable energy sources and industrial innovation, is already following a trajectory consistent with European objectives. Projections indicate an emissions reduction ranging from 60% to 69% in the energy and industrial sectors covered by the European carbon market.

Protection and Enhancement of Soil in Territorial Governance Processes

On 25 May 2026, a study day dedicated to the research themes developed by Prof. Bernardino Romano will take place at the Aula Magna of the San Basilio Congress Center in L’Aquila. Through this event, the University of L'Aquila and the DICEAA Department intend to commemorate his scientific legacy, now carried forward and further developed by the PLANECO Research Center, as well as by all those who shared with him ideas, projects, and conceptual and operational challenges that territorial planning is called upon to address. The initiative aims to recall and enhance a body of studies and practices that continues to provide interpretative and methodological tools for those working today along the same lines of research and action. The day will conclude with the award ceremony of the first edition of the BiRO Prize, established in memory of Prof. Romano.

Experts from ISPRA will take part in the event.

Weather and Climate Between Science and Social Media

Today’s tools to inform tomorrow in the new communication landscape

The event aims to bring together experts and professionals in the field to reflect on the role of weather communication between scientific rigor and new media.

In recent decades, the methods used to communicate meteorological and climatological information to the public have undergone profound changes, driven both by the development of data-processing technologies and by the emergence of new forms of mass communication.

TEF – Taranto Eco Forum

Now in its fourth edition, the event has become a national benchmark for environmental sustainability and innovation. It is preparing to further expand both the quality and the scope of the debate, reaffirming a national, practical, and targeted approach aimed at ensuring the full accessibility of its content, in line with European projects and macro-trends.

The new issue of RETICULA, ISPRA’s technical-scientific journal, is now online

The issue 41 of RETICULA, the technical-scientific journal published by ISPRA and dedicated to ecological connectivity and green infrastructure in land-use and landscape planning, is now available online.

The editorial of the new issue focuses on Mediterranean wetlands, essential ecosystems for biodiversity and climate regulation, highlighting their strategic role as Nature-based Solutions.