Researchers from CMCC and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice were rewarded in Rome for their study on the most effective risk management measures for the city of Venice. The international research team compiled a review of the most innovative solutions that will prepare Venice for the future, improve its resilience, and reduce risks from heatwaves, flooding, and other climate-related events.

Rome, June 11, 2025 – Venice can face the challenges of climate change by adopting an innovative and integrated approach to resilience. This is the conclusion of the study “Prioritization of Resilience Initiatives for Climate-Related Disasters in the Metropolitan City of Venice”, winner of the 10th Aspen Institute Italia Award 2025 for scientific collaboration between Italy and the United States.

This cutting-edge study at the intersection of environmental science, engineering, and climatology proposes effective risk management strategies for various future scenarios, acknowledging the high uncertainty associated with climate change. It offers tools to assess the resilience of coastal communities to natural disasters, using a methodology tested in Venice. The multidisciplinary team includes Italian experts from CMCC and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, alongside U.S.-based researchers from the University of Virginia, Carnegie Mellon University, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, specializing in risk and disaster resilience.

The coastal system of the Venice lagoon is increasingly under pressure due to climate change, compounded by urbanization, tourism, land use, and socio-economic dynamics. In this context, the study suggests adopting a portfolio of risk management measures to strengthen the resilience of the entire system as the best strategy.

This portfolio should include both physical and engineering measures – such as adapting hydraulic defense structures that withstand large-scale, intense events – and cognitive and social measures – such as updating and implementing plans and regulations – which are flexible enough to address a wide range of climate hazards.

“When we talk about cognitive, informational, and social measures, we mean strategies that go beyond physical or structural solutions and aim to change how people and communities perceive, understand, and respond to risk,” says Anna Sperotto of Ca’ Foscari University and CMCC.

Social measures promote new risk awareness through education and citizen participation; informational measures, such as rapid and widespread alert systems, ensure the timely and broad dissemination of relevant information; and cognitive measures include updated urban plans and nature-based solutions for more sustainable land management.

“In the case of Venice, the study clearly shows that physical measures alone, while necessary, are not enough to address the uncertainty of future risks – especially when considering scenarios where multiple events could occur simultaneously, such as high tides and heatwaves,” Sperotto adds. “In such cases, cognitive and informational measures are crucial to increase community awareness and preparedness, therefore adapting more effectively to change.”

“We can say that today the results of our research are even more relevant and timely,” says Andrea Critto, professor at Ca’ Foscari University, Senior Scientist at CMCC, and coordinator of the study. “In recent years, we have seen clear evidence of more frequent and intense climate-related extreme events: the DANA event in Valencia, the water emergency in Catalonia, and the Emilia-Romagna floods are just some recent examples that highlight our growing exposure to increasingly varied and impactful risks. All of these crises show that structural measures alone are no longer sufficient – we need to build a widespread risk culture that prepares communities to manage all phases of the risk cycle, from prevention to preparedness, response, and long-term adaptation.”

“The study is not limited to the specific case of Venice, but offers valuable insights for many other urban and coastal contexts where balancing economic and social development with environmental protection is crucial. The main value of the research lies in demonstrating that effective adaptation requires transformative change – not only technical, but also cultural and institutional,” says Igor Linkov, Senior Scientific and Technical Manager at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Florida, and CMCC fellow.

Published in 2022, the study emphasizes direct stakeholder involvement – not just as consultants, but as co-authors of the process. This approach enables the integration of scientific and practical knowledge, overcoming siloed perspectives and building more effective, inclusive, and sustainable adaptation strategies.

The future outlook emerging from this research is both broad and highly relevant in a context of increasing complexity and uncertainty linked to climate change.

“It points to the need to evolve towards multi-risk and transformative adaptation approaches, capable of addressing complex and unprecedented extreme events,” says CMCC researcher Silvia Torresan. “The future lies in leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve understanding, forecasting, and management of climate impacts. The path is clear: combine technological innovation, cross-sector collaboration – between research, public and private sectors – and long-term vision to build systemic resilience.”

Among the award-winning study’s authors are six scientists from CMCC and Ca’ Foscari University: Marta Bonato, Andrea Critto (lead coordinator), Antonio Marcomini, Beatrice Sambo, Anna Sperotto, and Silvia Torresan, along with CMCC fellow Igor Linkov. The study, published in the journal Risk Analysis, was carried out as part of the BRIDGE project (Building Resilience of Society to Natural Disasters: Improved Methodologies and Solutions for Italy and the U.S.), a “High Relevance Project” for Italian–U.S. cooperation, conducted between 2019 and 2022 and funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The Aspen Institute Italia Prize Ceremony took place on June 11 at Aspen’s headquarters in Rome, in the presence of representatives from institutions, the scientific community, and academia. The event will be preceded by the panel discussion “Scientific Progress for Natural Disaster Management”, with the participation of Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies Sebastiano Musumeci, as well as prominent figures such as Giulio Tremonti, Federico Mollicone, Angelo Maria Petroni, Luciano Maiani, Letizia Magaldi, Fabio Florindo, and Stefano Pontecorvo.

Established in 2015, the Aspen Institute Italia Award is an annual prize that recognizes joint Italian–U.S. scientific research projects in the natural, theoretical, or applied sciences, as a model of excellence in transatlantic cooperation.