Local stakeholder meeting in Comacchio, Italy

The presentation of the Park Authority’s projects underway in different parts of the Po Delta Park in Emilia-Romagna made it possible to share critical issues and possible solutions to identify a shared strategy, to be implemented by applying Natural Based Solutions. The strategy implemented with the projects will be applied by the Park in its ordinary territorial management and in the evaluation of projects to be implemented within the protected area. The meeting was attended by more than 70 participants, including local administrators and managers of the Park’s municipalities, institutions of national, regional and provincial stature, both in attendance and in online connection with the Sala degli Aceti, as in the case of the European partners of the international projects presented. In the course of the works, opened with a greeting from the Park President Aida Morelli and coordinated by the Director Massimiliano Costa, four of the current projects were presented:

• Interreg Central Europe INACO project
• Interreg Italy-Croatia Action project
• Horizon 2020 Land4Climate project
• LIFE NatuReef project

Furthermore, the LIFE ClimaXPo project was presented, which promotes adaptation to climate change through intelligent management of water resources in the hydrographic district of the river PO and, to conclude, the synthesis on Natural Based Solutions in coastal and river environments was illustrated through the presentation of the point of view of the Park entrusted to Riccardo Santolini of the University of Urbino and CTS member of the Po Delta Park. The strategic objective of the projects includes the sharing of good practices for the application of NBS and their dissemination. The coastal area and the territories that develop along the waterways and around the wetlands of the Park present, perhaps more than others, the fragility and direct exposure to climate change which, by altering the hydrographic balance, lead to safety problems for the inhabitants and related human activities. The technical meeting represented an operational opportunity to share differentiated and sustainable intervention strategies, applicable in the most varied contexts in an effective manner. The exchange of information has once again confirmed the usefulness of creating a network of operators who in various capacities are engaged both on the national and European territory to identify sustainable solutions aimed at making the territories, and in particular the protected natural areas, resilient to climate change that already today impose a change of pace in the management strategy of fragile territories but of very high environmental, social and economic value.