ISPRA Events

Tide gauge network and tide forecast

Visitors will be able to observe the average sea level in Venice from 1872 to the present, the variation in the frequency
of high waters in the lagoon, and a physical description of the tidal phenomenon and high waters in Venice.

Science School

ISPRA researchers in Livorno will guide school students through five modules where they will have the opportunity to delve deeper into important environmental issues: from climate change to alien species, from pollution sentinel organisms to the problem of waste.

Summer School Marine-coastal ecosystems and climate change: chains of connections and resilience

As part of the School of Specialization in environmental disciplines, ISPRA organizes in Cagliari, from 22 to 26 September 2025, the Summer School “Marine-coastal ecosystems and climate change: chains of connections and resilience”, aimed at 45 participants including graduates, PhD students and young researchers.
The initiative aims to provide a practical approach to the sustainable management of the coastal strip, encouraging dialogue between universities and applied research.
The activities will take place in various institutional locations with frontal lessons; educational workshops and technical-scientific visits to some coastal sites are planned.

The call and the registration link will soon be available on the ISPRA website.

Summer School “Mineral Deposits”

Last September, the "Mineral Deposits" Summer School was held at the San Silvestro Archaeological Mining Park in Campiglia Marittima. Organized by the ISPRA School of Specialization in Environmental Disciplines, the Italian Geological Society (GGM and GIGS sections), and the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology, the school was open to 25 undergraduates, graduates, doctoral students, and young researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds. The school aimed to provide a solid theoretical and, above all, practical foundation for mineral deposit exploration, from planning to fieldwork. It combined theoretical lectures with hands-on fieldwork, including visits and surveys in the Park's mining galleries. The activities, led by mineral exploration experts from both academia and research, as well as industry, allowed participants to gain a comprehensive overview of the different roles a geologist can play in mineral deposit exploration, including the need to approach mining activities within a framework of sustainability that is not only economic but, above all, environmental and social.

City, volcanoes, and mammoths: the metamorphoses of the ancient Appian Way

The Appian Way, one of the world's most fascinating archaeological parks, will be the narrative center of a trek led by university professors and researchers from ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research). The changing landscape will be explored with the help of zoology, geology, and urban planning to explore the multiple perspectives through which the history of the Regina Viarum can be interpreted.

ISPRA presents the fourth report on hydrogeological instability in Italy: danger and risk indicators. Understanding the territory to prevent risks

The area of Italy at risk for landslides, as defined in the Hydrogeological Planning (PAI), has increased by 15%, from 55,400 km² in 2021 to 69,500 km² in 2024, equal to 23% of the national territory. The most significant increases were recorded in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (+61.2%), Tuscany (+52.8%), Sardinia (+29.4%), and Sicily (+20.2%) and are primarily due to more detailed studies conducted by the district basin authorities and the autonomous provinces. The areas classified as highly at risk (high P3 and very high P4) have increased from 8.7% to 9.5% of the national territory. In 2024, 94.5% of Italian municipalities are at risk of landslides, floods, coastal erosion, or avalanches.

The situation on Italian beaches is improving: in terms of coastal erosion, there are more advancing stretches (+30 km) than eroding ones.

This is the picture that emerges from the fourth ISPRA Report on "Hydrogeological Instability in Italy" - 2024 Edition - the Institute's three-year work presented this morning in Rome at the Multipurpose Hall of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

"A thorough understanding of landslide phenomena is the essential foundation for effective risk prevention and mitigation policies, but so is communication and information dissemination," stated ISPRA President Stefano Laporta. "Hydrogeological instability is not just a technical or structural issue; it affects the daily lives of each of us, the safety of our communities, and the prospect of a resilient environment. Active citizen involvement is essential; their contribution is invaluable on multiple fronts, from collecting timely reports from the local area to supporting the dissemination of information and participating in local emergency plans."

"The ISPRA report shows that 19.2% of the national territory is classified as being at greatest risk for landslides and floods, and Italy remains among the most exposed European countries in terms of landslides, with over 636,000 recorded landslides," stated ISPRA Director General Maria Siclari. "Indicators and maps on hydrogeological instability are taking on an increasingly important role also in the field of sustainable finance, assessment and management of physical and financial risks associated with the economic impact of extreme natural events," explained the Director General. "ISPRA data on hydrogeological instability are a fundamental tool to support public policies and strategic plannig".

Press release (ita)

Program

Hydrogeological instability in Italy: hazards and risk indicators. 2024 Edition

IdroGEO

Photo gallery

ISPRA’s new oceanographic vessel: up to 4000 meters deep to overcome the challenge of climate change

On July 15, the ISPRA Major Oceanographic Vessel will be presented at the Chamber of Deputies: not just a new research infrastructure, but the concrete symbol of a collective commitment to the sea, to science, to future generations. The vessel represents one of the key interventions of the Marine Ecosystem Restoration Project (MER), the largest investment envisaged by the PNRR for the protection of the marine environment: 400 million euros intended to protect and restore fragile ecosystems, starting with those that are submerged, invisible and mostly unknown. A project of great national scope, with ISPRA as the implementing body and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security as the titular administration.

Towards a big data revolution for the Planet: Third High Level Expert Group Meeting

From 8^th to 10^th July, ISPRA and the European Space Agency will host the Third High Level Expert Group Meeting on Big Data of the UN Science Policy Business Forum on the Environment at ESA-ESRIN headquarters in Frascati. This technical High-Level event under the theme “Towards a big data revolution for the Planet: from Uncertainty to Opportunity” will focus on four main objectives, each addressing a key component of Big Data’s role in environmental sustainability. In a rapidly shifting geopolitical context, the need for high-quality environmental data is greater than ever.

Conservation of Mediterranean Trout and its Habitat: Roadmap towards a National Action Plan

The Round Table includes a discussion with the bodies responsible for implementing the conservation measures for the Mediterranean Trout included in the Guidelines published in the ISPRA Manuals and Guidelines series (MLG 207/2024) in order to outline any critical issues in their implementation and define a road map for their implementation and a policy recommendation document to reach a National Plan for the management and conservation of the species and its habitat. In addition to the bodies responsible for implementing the guidelines, representatives of scientific, environmental and fishing associations, stakeholders and experts are invited to the meeting.

Circular economy and Green Jobs

The circular economy and the new opportunities of the so-called “green economy” are essential to overcome the economic and ecological crisis we are experiencing. Renewable energy, construction, transport, agriculture, tourism, food production, communication, finance, waste management and land safety… The list is very long, and shows that every productive sector is affected. All this generates new jobs and allows the requalification of many of those profiles that no longer find space in the employment market: but what are the increasingly requested green skills today and the tools that give concrete support to those looking for work, to those who want to change it or to those who have lost it and want to reinvent themselves in the green?

The good use of green and blue spaces for the promotion of health and well-being: the role of stakeholders

The territorial events for the dissemination of the PNRR-PNC project “The good use of Green and Blue spaces for the promotion of health and well-being”, funded by the Ministry of Health, continue. The next one will be held on June 19 in Rome, at the Forma Spazi Congress Center in via Cavour, where the activities concluded and those in progress will be presented, with the aim of continuing the dialogue with all the institutional actors involved and the interested stakeholders who have accompanied the activities since the first steps of the project.

Project LIFE Help

Presentation of a new index to communicate environmental improvement

In recent years, the complexity of environmental and regulatory data has made it difficult for local authorities to coordinate and communicate their actions effectively. To respond to this challenge, the WA2NNA-BEST index, developed by the LIFE HELP project, will be presented in Rome on 18 June 2025: a self-assessment tool designed to support EMAS municipalities and local administrations in monitoring and communicating environmental performance. The index covers six thematic areas – air, water, waste, noise, biodiversity, energy/climate – and is based on scientifically sound indicators that are consistent with current regulations. The conference will illustrate how this tool can simplify environmental communication, strengthen transparency towards citizens, encourage the exchange of good practices and contribute to achieving the objectives of the 2030 Agenda

Summer School “Copernicus for Cultural Heritage"

The Department for the Geological Survey of Italy of ISPRA organizes the second edition of the Summer School “Copernicus for Cultural Heritage” – to be held in Rome, 18-20 June 2025
An international training event that combines earth observation technologies and cultural heritage protection

Comparison on the implementation of the National Guidelines for the conservation of Mediterranean trout and its habitat

On May 29, a meeting planned by the LIFE STREAMS Project will take place at the headquarters of the Casentinesi Forests, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park at the Park Visitor Center in Premilcuore (FC), to verify the implementation of the Guidelines for the conservation of Mediterranean trout and its habitat (Action C.5 - ISPRA Manuals and Guidelines 207/2024), in person or online.

Potentially contaminated sites: ISPRA launches Rocks, the first software on intervention priorities

The conference will present the “Operational manual of national intervention priority criteria for potentially contaminated sites” which describes the national risk-based screening model, with related ROCKS application software, developed by ISPRA, to identify intervention priorities in potentially contaminated sites, in compliance with the requirements of article 199, paragraph 6, letter a) of Legislative Decree 152/06.

Training meeting and technical contributions for the SNPA-ISIN day

Relaunch of the collaboration between ISPRA-ARPA/APPA-ISIN

ISIN and SNPA organized a meeting today in response to the need, expressed by both parties, to renew the collaboration on the topic of protection from exposure to ionizing radiation already envisaged by the ISIN – SNPA Agencies Framework Collaboration Agreement, approved by the Council with resolution no. 76/2020 and signed by all the Agencies, by ISPRA and by ISIN.

"Constructive synergy between SNPA and ISIN on a complex topic such as radiation protection, on which it is necessary to pool our respective skills more. Today's discussion will be useful to fill this gap, because every time you work as a team, you get a result. The goal is common: environmental protection. Today we are only at the beginning of a series of meetings aimed at focusing on this synergy" declared ISPRA General Director Maria Siclari during the meeting organized to renew the collaboration on the topic of protection from exposure to ionizing radiation already envisaged by the ISIN – SNPA Framework Collaboration Agreement.

The Environmental Agencies contribute, also in support of the regional administrations, to the implementation of the tasks of monitoring, surveillance and control of ionizing radiation pursuant to Legislative Decree 101/2020 and subsequent amendments in normal and emergency situations, with reference to both natural and artificial sources of radioactivity.

Urbe, volcanoes and mammoths: the metamorphoses of the ancient Appian Way

The Appia Antica, one of the most fascinating archaeological parks in the world, will be the narrative center of a trek led by university professors and researchers from ISPRA. The change in the landscape will be investigated with the help of zoology, geology and urban planning to account for the multiple perspectives from which the history of the Regina Viarum can be read.

On July 21, 2024, after a process lasting about 3 years, the Regina Viarum will be included in the places protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site. It joins the other 67 places recognized in Italy.

To celebrate this important recognition, ISPRA, as part of the NET European Night of Researchers project, will organize three scientific excursions led by researchers.

XVII National Mining Day

National Mining Day, the annual event dedicated to the valorization and promotion of mining tourism as a cultural heritage, celebrates its XVII edition this year, testifying to an ever-growing interest throughout Italy.

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

Also for this edition, the Day will take the form of a rich program of events distributed throughout the country, culminating in the creation of a "National Calendar" that will collect all the initiatives proposed by participating Sites, Museums and Mining Parks.

Blu Livorno. The Biennial of Sea and Water

As part of the Biennale del mare-Blu Livorno On May 14th, starting at 2:30 p.m., the conference "Marine biodiversity: 20 years of scientific and educational collaboration between Italy and China" will take place in the panoramic hall of the Livorno Aquarium. The conference is organized by ISPRA together with the Italian Embassy in Beijing and the University of Pisa, as part of the 3rd bilateral workshop on scientific research and advanced training applied to marine sciences, which will see the participation of professors from the Zhejiang Ocean University and a large delegation of students.

Territories in transformation

Presentation of the ISPRA Atlas 2025

The new edition of the ISPRA Atlas "Territories in transformation" is dedicated to the analysis of the state of the national territory, to the study of its most recent transformation dynamics and to their representation through a series of cartographic tables produced using mainly ISPRA-SNPA data and the Copernicus services for monitoring the territory through Earth observation.

The ISPRA Atlas 2025 “Territories in Transformation” was created with the aim of offering an increasingly wider audience a clear and intuitive product, which helps to know and understand the main transformations detected and underway in the territory, and which is able to support the definition of effective policies for the sustainable management of natural capital and the achievement of institutional objectives in the environmental field.

Atlas 2025. Territories in Transformation

Program

Photo gallery

Invent, innovate and transform the future of cultural heritage with Copernicus

ISPRA, together with the National Copernicus Users Forum and the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), is organizing a Hackathon entitled “Cultural Space”. This is a multidisciplinary event for young talents aimed at promoting innovation in the sectors of cultural heritage, air quality and climate change, making use of the Copernicus Earth observation products made available by the CAMS and C3S services.

Decarbonization: Building a Zero Emissions Future

Significant drop in greenhouse gases in 2024: -3% compared to the previous year, mainly due to the electricity generation sector. This sector accounts for an average of a quarter of national emissions and over the years has proven to be among the most efficient in terms of reducing climate-altering gases: these have decreased by 64% from 1990 to today.

The transport sector remains problematic, with emissions continuing to grow significantly and representing 28% of national emissions: over 90% of them derive from road transport and have increased by approximately 7% since 1990. The Italian vehicle fleet is still characterized by traditionally fueled vehicles (petrol and diesel) and over the years the number of vehicles has seen a significant expansion (over 50%). All other economic sectors have seen marked reductions in emissions, with the exception of waste management, which however contributes only 5% of the national total.

This is the picture that emerges from the first elaborations of Ispra relating to 2024, presented today in Rome as part of the conference “Decarbonization: building a zero-emission future” promoted by Ispra. The report Greenhouse gas emissions in Italy: reduction targets and emission scenarios is available online from today. It outlines the Italian emission framework from 1990 to 2023 and presents an analysis of the emission scenarios for 2030 and 2055 compared to the reference one (with current policies) and the scenario with additional policies envisaged by the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC). A specific focus is dedicated to the emission reduction objectives, with particular reference to the Effort Sharing sectors and the role of the LULUCF sector in balancing emissions. Ispra’s task is to annually develop and publish the national inventory and every two years the greenhouse gas emission scenarios to transmit them to European and international bodies.

Aerobiological monitoring. Between natural heritage and artificial intelligence

National Pollen Day

On March 21, on the occasion of the XVIII edition of the National Pollen Day, the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research and the POLLnet SNPA thematic network present the seminar “Aerobiological monitoring between natural heritage and artificial intelligence”.

The day, organized in collaboration with the Italian Society of Aerobiology, Medicine and Environment (SIAMA), the Italian Botanical Society (SBI), the Palynology and Paleobotany Group (GPP-SBI) and the Italian Society of Allergology and Pediatric Immunology (SIAIP), aims to promote aerobiology as a fundamental discipline in the study of environmental issues related to the interpretation of allergic disease and to contribute to spreading the culture of the multidisciplinary approach to human health and environmental issues.

Program

The event will be broadcasted on the Canale Youtube ISPRA 

Municipal green plans: tools to bring nature back into our lives?

Bringing nature back into our lives: this is what the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 says. And since the lives of millions and millions of citizens are concentrated in cities and in the increasingly anthropized contexts of our territories, it is from the cities that we must start again to reverse the trend of the progressive degradation of ecosystems, including urban ones.
The new publication "Urban nature Plans: tools to bring nature back into our lives? - produced and published by Urban Area section - It therefore starts from the cities to reflect on a planning tool that is still not very widespread in Italy - the Municipal Green Plan - with the aim of understanding its contents, strategies and transformative potential for healthier, more inclusive and resilient territories. Torino, Vercelli, Bolzano, Padova, Rovigo, Parma, Bologna, Forlì, Livorno, Avellino: these are the 10 Green Plans analyzed.

Representatives of MASE, ANCI and ICLEI have been invited to the webinar and the program includes technical insights and a session dedicated to Municipalities.

Program

Presentation of the first results for the project FPCUP User Uptake of Copernicus Services for Landscape and Spatial Planning Stakeholders

On 27 February ISPRA will present the first results of the FPCUP project "User Uptake of Copernicus Services for Landscape and Spatial Planning Stakeholders".

The project is part of the work program of the FPCUP consortium - Framework Partnership Agreement for Copernicus User Uptake - started in 2018, coordinated by DLR (German Aerospace Center) with funding from the EC, and which includes 50 partners from 23 European countries.

The primary objective of FPCUP projects is to increase the number of Copernicus users and applications derived from Copernicus products and services based on user needs. Five European partners, CBK - Poland, IES – Latvia, DGT – Portugal, SRTI-BAS – Bulgaria, IHCantabria – Spain, are participating together with ISPRA in the “User Uptake of Copernicus Services for Landscape and Spatial Planning Stakeholders” project.

Program

World Whale and Cetacean Day: ISPRA and ARPA Sicily celebrate the sea with students

On the occasion of World Whale and Cetacean Day, on 21 February, ISPRA and ARPA Sicilia are organizing a day-event dedicated to the sea and to the students of the classes participating in the courses for transversal skills and orientation - PCTO 2024-25 DLands of ISPRA (Liceo B. Croce, Palermo) and the classes of the PCTO 2023-24 ReStreet (Address Construction, Environment and Territory of the M. Rutelli Institute, Palermo), at the Roosevelt buildings in Palermo. A path along 16 stations between the structures of ARPA Sicilia and ISPRA to explore the marine environment through science, history, art and literature, thanks to the participation of important research bodies such as CNR-IAS, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, INGV and the Superintendency of the Sea

The event is financed by the Scienze Together NET project, a European network that unites ISPRA with the main Research Institutions and Universities to promote scientific dissemination alongside scholars and researchers. Educational stations, laboratories and information points will be available with researchers and technologists from the participating institutions, exhibitions and exhibitions of scientific and historical finds

XIII Report on Urban Environment Quality - 2017 edition

The report has come to the thirteenth edition. Made by the National System for Environmental Protection - SNPA, it has become over the years a reference for professionals and for users, thanks also to analyzes and assessments provided by the SNPA experts on the numerous data presented, which help the reader to understand the phenomena. The 2017 edition of the report provides the updates for all the 119 ( 116 Italian provincial capitals plus the 3 cities most populated) of a set of core indicators for the analysis of the urban environmental quality and urban quality of life in the Italian cities.

XI National Mining Day

The National Mining Day, promoted to spread the value and the cultural meaning of geological tourism, has achieved its eleventh edition this year, registering a growing interest on the entire national territory. The initiative, organized by REMI, ISPRA-SNPA, MISE, AIPAI, ANIM, ASSOMINERARIA and G&T under the patronage of the National Council of Geologists and EuroGeoSurveys includes the organization of specifci events throughout the national territory and the realization of a "National calendar" with all the initiatives promoted by the Sites / Museums and Mining Parks.

Workshop Project Sic2Sic - cycling through the Natura 2000 Network

VIII edition study-days : "Research and application of ecotoxicological methodologies"

The ecotoxicological as management tools of acquatic and land environments

The research, the Agencies monitoring and the private world