Events and News

8th Edition of the European Meeting on 3D Geological Modelling

Rome will host the 8th edition of the European Meeting on 3D Geological Modelling from 20 to 23 April 2027. The event is organized by ISPRA with the support of the CARG Programme.

The meeting will bring together Geological Surveys, universities, research institutions, and industry representatives to share knowledge and experiences in 3D and 4D subsurface geological modelling, while strengthening scientific collaboration at both the European and international levels.

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).

Summer School 2026 – Geological Surveying and CARG Mapping

September 8 (online) and Finale Ligure (SV), September 20–26, 2026

The Summer School aims to promote methodologies and criteria for geological surveying and mapping, as well as the conceptual organization of data and digital archiving systems, in accordance with the standards of the CARG Program.

The Summer School includes: one day of synchronous online training, field survey activities carried out in small groups under expert supervision, lectures, and practical exercises.

The program is intended for Master’s graduates, PhD candidates, and PhD holders in Geological Sciences with experience in geological surveying who are interested in deepening their knowledge of field data collection methodologies and geological data archiving, in line with the standards established for the Geological Map of Italy – CARG Program.

Students close to completing their Master’s degree, whose thesis work involves geological field surveying, may also apply; their applications will be considered subject to availability of places.

CII500K – The New Hydrogeological Map of Italy’s Groundwater

The Blue Gold of Our Country

In Italy, we drink groundwater: more than 84% of the country’s civil water demand is supplied by spring water or water extracted from underground aquifers through wells.
A true “Blue Gold” resource that is renewed every year and must be understood, protected, and enhanced.

These needs are addressed by the new Hydrogeological Map of Italy at a scale of 1:500,000 (CII500K), which, after being presented to the scientific community, will be officially presented to the public on June 9 during an event at the Auditorium of the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security.

The event will provide an opportunity to illustrate how the map was developed and to showcase the wealth of information it contains. The project was coordinated by ISPRA and the “Ardito Desio” Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Milan, in collaboration with ISTAT, CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change), and the seven District Basin Authorities, as well as with the participation of the wider groundwater expert community: Regions and Autonomous Provinces, ARPA/APPA environmental agencies, universities, research institutions, and professional associations. This initiative represents the first example of “participatory cartography” in Italy.

Program

Map of Italy at a scale of 1:500,000

Earth Observation for Planning Urban Heat Island Mitigation Measures: Results from the MIRIFICUS Project

Urban heat islands are characterized by higher temperatures in cities compared to the surrounding natural areas. This temperature increase results from several factors associated with urbanization, including reduced vegetation cover, heat-generating human activities, limited natural ventilation, the use of materials that absorb and retain thermal energy, and soil sealing. To mitigate these effects, public administrations can promote measures aimed at improving the urban microclimate, reducing surface temperatures, and enhancing urban resilience, such as urban reforestation and the redevelopment of paved surfaces.

This phenomenon is increasing as a result of climate change and urban and territorial transformations, which have led to greater land consumption and the loss of vegetation.

Thanks to data acquired from the main Earth Observation satellite systems—including the medium- and high-resolution Copernicus Sentinel, NASA Landsat, and ASI PRISMA missions—the MIRIFICUS project (Monitoring Reforestation Interventions for Urban Heat Islands through Satellites) provides urban, vegetation, and thermal indicators across the entire Italian territory, with a particular focus on urban agglomerations.

One of the project’s main outcomes is the development of a Geographic Information System (WebGIS) based on interactive maps, enabling different stakeholders—from citizens to territorial planners and managers—to access and consult relevant data and information. The system offers a particularly valuable tool for public decision-makers and local administrators.

Project activities included two case studies in the cities of Florence and Rome, where the effectiveness of two hypothetical urban reforestation interventions in mitigating the effects of intra-urban thermal anomalies was assessed through an ex-post comparison of the modeled interventions.

The event will present the results of thermal anomaly monitoring conducted during the summer months (June–August) over the period 2013–2023 in the regional capitals analyzed, and will illustrate how to access and consult the information system developed within the project.

The meeting, which will take place on 6 July at ISPRA headquarters, is intended for public administrators, researchers, and experts in environmental data governance and sharing. It is also open to citizens, associations, and anyone interested in urban sustainability issues.

The program includes a discussion session between speakers and participants, aimed at fostering the exchange of experiences and best practices to support initiatives designed to counter the urban heat island phenomenon.

The MIRIFICUS project is funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), with scientific support from the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)

Program

MIRIFICUS Project 

Presentation of the "Guidelines for Urban Nature Plans"

The Guidelines for Urban Nature Plans, developed within the framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center, aim to support public authorities, technical experts, and planners in integrating biodiversity into urban planning policies and tools.
The meeting will provide an overview of the Urban Nature Plan as a new strategic tool promoted by the European Union to strengthen the climate resilience of cities.

Reclamation and landfill materials

On July 2, an event organized by ISPRA entitled “SNPA Guidelines 46 and 46bis on Fill Materials: Regulatory, Operational, and Management Perspectives” will take place at the CNR Auditorium in Rome.

The conference is dedicated to the proper management of fill materials, a topic of growing importance in terms of environmental sustainability, land protection, and the proper planning of remediation and redevelopment activities.

XXI ReMI-ISPRA network meeting

Round Table on Historic Mining Sites

As part of the "I International Meeting of European Miners," to be held in Tarvisio from June 26 to 28, 2026, the 21st ReMi-ISPRA Network Meeting will be held on June 27.

The 21st ReMi Network Meeting aims to foster discussion among mining museums operating throughout the Italian Alps and in other European contexts. The aim is to highlight both their strengths and key weaknesses, and identify potential improvement measures to enhance the effectiveness of the local mining heritage valorization and management.

Photography Contest: "From land consumption to urban and territorial regeneration"

A photograph to tell the story of change

ISPRA and SNPA are renewing their photography contest initiative to engage professionals, amateurs of landscape and street photography, and anyone interested in documenting urban and regional regeneration in Italy. The goal is to foster positive change: documenting environmental redevelopment projects, resurfacing projects, and the ecological recovery of previously degraded or artificially developed areas, to provide a comprehensive and scientific view of territorial dynamics.

The ISPRA IdroGEO platform wins the Golden Smartphone award

The ISPRA IdroGEO platform has won the Golden Smartphone award for innovation, the award dedicated to the best digital communication and information experiences of public entities and companies, organized by the Fondazione Italia Digitale.

Land Consumption: Sharing of Preliminary 2025 Data from the National Environmental Protection System's Monitoring Activities

ISPRA and the National Environmental Protection System (SNPA), including for 2025 land consumption data, allow operators from municipalities and observatories of the regions and autonomous provinces to access preliminary data from the land consumption monitoring activities, in order to make the process increasingly effective and participatory.

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.

Rome under Rome

The new Underground Cavities Map

The city of Rome preserves beneath its surface an extraordinarily complex heritage, the result of natural and human-made stratification developed over thousands of years. Ancient quarries, catacombs, hypogea, hydraulic tunnels, and numerous other underground structures form a structural component of the capital’s urban history, while also representing an element of major importance for territorial knowledge and the prevention of ground instability phenomena.

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.

18th edition of National Mining Day

The initiative is promoted and coordinated by REMI, ISPRA, in cooperation with AIPAI, ANIM, ASSORISORSE, G&T, MASE and under the patronage of prestigious institutions such as European Route of Industrial Heritage ERIH, Consiglio Nazionale dei Geologi CNG, EuroGeoSurveys EGS, e AMODO Alleanza per la Mobilità dolce.

Changing Climate, Responding Territory: Hydrogeological Instability and Risk Management Strategies

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the approval of the Regional Law establishing the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Sardinia (ARPAS), the conference "Changing Climate, Responding Territory: Hydrogeological Instability and Risk Management Strategies" will be held in Cagliari on May 27th.

The initiative represents an important opportunity for scientific and institutional discussion on climate change and the new challenges posed by the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.

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.

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.

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.

Map of Underground Cavities of Rome 2026

The Map of Underground Cavities of Rome 2026 represents a significant update to the current knowledge framework regarding the distribution of underground voids within the urban territory of Rome. The cartography was produced by integrating data from scientific literature, historical cartographic archives, institutional databases, archaeological maps, and direct investigations, enabling the mapping of the main types of underground cavities (quarries, catacombs, hypogea, hydraulic tunnels, and other underground infrastructures) as well as the development of a density map of hypogeal systems.

Third National Day for the Prevention and Mitigation of Hydrogeological Risk

Forecasts and Experiences for Effective Governance of Land Protection Policies

Italy is characterized by an almost permanent emergency related to severe landslides and floods, exacerbated by the ongoing climate changes affecting the Mediterranean area. Effective prevention and mitigation measures for hydrogeological risk can be implemented through a broader understanding of risk forecasting models and new intervention techniques.

Science and technology, however, are only two of the fundamental pillars for effective land protection; a third pillar is represented by public prevention policies and by the ability of local administrations to manage, in a coordinated way, both countermeasures and mitigation works. Despite the availability of considerable financial resources to address land instability issues, the weak link risks being the difficulty local authorities face in managing construction sites and intervention projects.

The Third National Day for the Prevention and Mitigation of Hydrogeological Risk therefore aims to identify, through the participation of numerous institutional stakeholders and experts, a better governance model for policies aimed at safeguarding the country’s environmental and urban heritage.

Nature Restoration Regulation: what prospects for the Italian landscape from the National Nature Restoration Plan?

Through contributions from experts directly involved in drafting the national plans, the meeting aims to explore in depth the content, objectives, and implications of the regulatory articles concerning urban, riverine, terrestrial, forest, and agricultural ecosystems, analyzing their methodologies, strategies, and possible implementation measures within the Italian context.

The discussion will provide an opportunity to examine the relationships between ecological restoration and landscape design, fostering a critical and interdisciplinary reflection on the role of research in shaping paradigms of care, coevolution, and resilience, while promoting dialogue among public policies, scientific knowledge, and design practices.

Italian port infrastructure and its monitoring: ISPRA’s two new geodatabases – Maritime Works Layout and Port Transformation Areas

On April 29, 2026, at 9:00 AM, the Conference Hall of ISPRA will host the conference:
“Italian Port Infrastructure and Its Monitoring: ISPRA’s Two New GeoDBs – Maritime Works Layout and Port Transformation Areas.”

Based on high-resolution data layers covering the entire national coastal system, ISPRA presents and releases two new databases:

Maritime Works Layout (AOM), including the digitization and characterization of all structures classified as port infrastructure, with details on their type, function, and usage conditions, their evolution over time, ISTAT references, affiliation with relevant territorial authorities or administrations, and declared or estimated berthing capacity;

Port Transformation Areas (ATP), including the digitization and characterization of polygons related to obstruction (seabed occupation), excavation (coastal land occupation), and alteration (modification of natural conditions within basins) for all coastal port infrastructures, compared to pre-development conditions (ante operam).

Workshop “Photographic Monitoring of Landslides”

The workshop will present new technologies for landslide monitoring, with a focus on photomonitoring and on the results of experimental activities carried out by Sapienza University of Rome across 13 landslide sites throughout the country, within the framework of the GeoSciences IR project, funded by the PNRR MUR and coordinated by ISPRA.

ISPRA meets with a Chinese delegation from the Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center

On April 20, at the headquarters of ECCO—an independent Italian think tank on climate and energy transition—ISPRA met with a Chinese delegation from the Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center (LCRC), an institute of the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources that focuses on land reclamation, redevelopment, and soil management.

Stories in Stone: A Geological Journey Through the Basilicas of Rome

As part of the Festival of Science di Rome, ISPRA is organizing, on April 18, the geological walk “Stories in Stone: A Geological Journey Through the Basilicas of Rome.”

Rebuilt after the devastating fire of 1823, the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls represents an important example of the restoration of early Christian architecture, while preserving its connection to its ancient origins. One of the building’s distinctive features is the extensive use of ornamental stones sourced from various areas of the Mediterranean.

The guided tour will offer participants the opportunity to closely observe these lithological varieties, appreciating not only their quality and aesthetic value, but also their historical significance—providing a unique chance to discover how architectural beauty intertwines with history and geology.

The Geothematic Cartography of the CARG Program

ISPRA and the Italian Military Geographic Institute are organizing the conference “The Geothematic Cartography of the CARG Program” scheduled for April 16, 2026, at the headquarters of the Italian Military Geographic Institute in Florence.

The event represents an important opportunity for scientific and technical discussion on the results and developments of the CARG Program (Geological Map of Italy), with particular focus on the production of geothematic cartography, including geomorphological, hazard, hydrogeological, and geomineral mapping. Throughout the day, experts from ISPRA, universities, research institutions, and public bodies will present thematic map sheets currently under development within the CARG framework, illustrating methodologies, expected results, and future perspectives. Significant attention will also be given to the collaboration between ISPRA and the Italian Military Geographic Institute, as well as to new frontiers in digital cartography.

The day will open with institutional greetings from high-level representatives of the Italian Military Geographic Institute and ISPRA. A visit to the Italian Military Geographic Institute is scheduled at the end of the event.

ISPRA participates in the Rome Science Festival 2026

Soil Health by 2050: Strategic and Practical Implications of the European Soil Monitoring Directive

The conference aims to explore the strategic and operational implications of the European Soil Monitoring Directive, with a view to achieving the “healthy soils” objective by 2050. Particular attention will be given to measurement systems and soil health indicators, as well as their integration with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the European CRCF Regulation on carbon credits.

The event will also examine the role of public research and environmental agencies, presenting regional experiences and case studies aimed at promoting innovation transfer and technical-professional advisory services.

Reading the Territory, Interpreting the Landscape, Designing the Future

The landscape is not merely the sum of a territory’s geophysical and climatic characteristics; rather, it is the result of the interaction between human beings and the environment. A dynamic synthesis of nature and culture, and of the ways in which communities have inhabited and transformed the land, the landscape is the outcome of a stratification of relationships that defines the identity of a place. It is the visible form of the environment in its historical evolution: a space that is not only physical, but also a reflection of our aesthetic perception and a guardian of our emotional connections.