Research projects

ACQUAOUNT – Adapting to Climate change by QUantifying optimal Allocation of water resOUrces and socio-ecoNomic inTerlinkages

Agriculture is by far the most water demanding sector in the Mediterranean and a sustainable use of water, combined with economic growth, cannot be achieved without improving irrigation efficiency and water productivity. The current heavy depletion of water sources is leading to water scarcity and degradation, deterioration of ecosystem services, conflicts with domestic and industrial uses and, in general, it poses limitations to economic growth. These trends will be exacerbated by CC. The ACQUAOUNT project aims to improve IWRM and sustainable irrigation through the deployment of innovative tools, smart water services and solutions, for public and private use, while contributing to climate resilience.

Future Earth, Global Policy, Jobs & Growth, Water, Food and Land Use.

ETC/CCA – European Topic Centre on Climate Change impacts, vulnerability and Adaptation (2019-2021)

The ETC/CCA is a Consortium of European institutions that supply thematic expertise to the European Environment Agency (EEA) working at the interface between science and policy, in support to policy development and implementation in the area of climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation across Europe.

Cities & Coasts, Energy, Future Earth, Jobs & Growth, Migrations & Inequalities, Water, Food and Land Use.

NEMESI – NanotEcnologie chiMiche green per la protEzione Sostenibile delle pIante

The NEMESI project is aimed at the creation of biobased / biomaterial products from renewable (biomass) and recycled sources with a view to fighting the spread of several plant pathogens that have been severely affecting the whole economic and agriculture system in Italy. The intensification of agricultural crops and high market demands have forced the industry to intensify the use of chemicals to limit the effects of plant diseases, which has had a strong impact on the environment, food quality and human health. The proposed material in NEMESI is Nanocellulose, that is supposed to be used as a carrier of innovative agrochemicals based on nanotechnology approaches. Funded by MIUR – Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca – PON-PNR 2015-2020 (www.ponricerca.gov.it)

Jobs & Growth, Water, Food and Land Use.

NEXOGENESIS – Facilitating the next generation of effective and intelligent water-related policies utilising artificial intelligence and reinforcement learning to assess the water-energy-food ecosystem (WEFE) nexus

Water, energy, food, and ecosystems (WEFE) are interconnected, comprising a coherent system (nexus) dominated by complexity and modulated by climatic and socio-economic drivers. Resource constraints, and their interconnectedness could hamper economic development, including optimal trade, market and policy solutions. NEXOGENESIS offers a coherent WEFE nexus framework for the assessment of potential impact pathways of implementing new policy objectives (WFD, RED, CAP, SDGs, Paris Agreement) in the nexus, including: (i) biophysical and socio-economic modelling; (ii) stakeholder engagement together with; (iii) validation of NEXOGENESIS outputs and; (iv) use of the latest artificial intelligence techniques.

Future Earth, Energy, Global Policy, Jobs & Growth, Water, Food and Land Use.

SIMPLe – Integrated and automated systems for indoor farming

SIMPLe main focus is the development of a methodological and technological framework for assisted production and harvesting in agriculture that, through the use of technologies, allows the monitoring of the production environment and the product. The purpose of the system is to ensure greater production yield, environmental sustainability and product quality, avoid using substances that are harmful to health, rationalize resources and reduce costs.

Future Earth, Jobs & Growth, Water, Food and Land Use.

Talking Chestnut – New techniques for monitoring the carbon balance and health of wood and fruit chestnut stands

In a large part of the Italian Apennines, the chestnut stands are evolving towards mixed forests with a predominant presence of Castanea sativa Mill., losing the structural characteristics for the traditional fruit production. In facing this process of renaturalization, the Emilia Romagna Region recognizes the desirability of maintaining also the traditional chestnut fruit production in the Apennines, as a resource for the mountain economy and as a typical element of the landscape and tradition. Therefore, the recovery and maintenance of the traditional chestnut fruit stands can be performed on small areas (<500 m2) within the forest matrix (Art. 30, Forestry Regulations), where the more suitable conditions occur, considering both the phytoclimatic and the micro-stationary characteristics. In this framework, the project aims to assess the ecological footprints associated to the recovery of the traditional chestnut fruit stands, in terms of C sink and stock in the soil-tree system, water use and land cover.

Future Earth, Jobs & Growth, Water, Food and Land Use.

TEACHER-CE – joinT Efforts to increase water management Adaptation to climate CHanges in central EuRope

TEACHER-CE intends to integrate and harmonize results of previously or ongoing projects funded within INTERREG CE Program and/or other European initiatives. The main territorial challenge to be addressed concerns the development of effective adaptation processes and prevention of weather-induced risks for water management in Central Europe, where the effects of climate changes can be already clearly observed and, in future years, could have strong impact at territorial level

Future Earth, Global Policy, Water, Food and Land Use.

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