News

CARG Summer School of Geological Survey and Cartography

The Summer School aims to disseminate the methodologies and criteria of geological surveying and cartography, conceptual organization of data and digital archiving system in accordance with the criteria of the CARG Project. The School includes: one day of distance learning, days of field surveying in small groups followed by experts, frontal lessons and practical exercises. The School is aimed at geologists with surveying skills (graduates, PhD students, PhDs, freelancers, officials of institutions) interested in deepening the methodologies of field collection and archiving of geological data according to the criteria established for the Geological Map of Italy - CARG Project.

ISPRA calculates forest fires: in 2024 Italy will burn less than in the previous 5 years

16 out of 20 regions affected

Online Ecosystems and forest fires in Italy

During 2024, Italy was affected by forest fires covering a total area of ​​514 km2 (almost half the area of ​​the municipality of Rome Capitale). Of these, 20% (about 103 km2 - an area almost comparable to the size of Lake Bolsena) were composed of forest ecosystems. 46% of the burned forests were evergreen broadleaf trees, such as holm oaks and Mediterranean scrub, 37% deciduous broadleaf forests (which lose their leaves in the cold season and regain them in spring) and 14% coniferous forests.

The fires that occurred in Italy in 2024 were less serious in terms of the extension of the areas affected compared to previous years; the overall extension of the areas affected by fire in 2024 is in fact equal to approximately 2/3 of the average value calculated in the period 2018-2023. The total surface area burned in Italy in 2024 is higher only than that burned in 2018 and 2019, but decidedly lower than all the years between 2020 and 2023. The numbers are significantly lower than in 2023 both for the total surfaces burned (-52%), and for the forest surfaces burned (-34%).

Two days of presentation of PCTO at the ISPRA headquarters in Rome

On May 21 and 30, two important days dedicated to the presentation of the Paths for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTO) activated in the 2024/2025 school year were held at the conference room of the ISPRA headquarters in Rome. The days represented an opportunity for discussion, sharing and valorization of the results achieved, as well as a moment to listen to the testimonies and recognize the commitment and skills developed among the participants through these growth and learning paths.

XIX meeting of the National Network of Mining Parks and Museums - ReMi

As part of the GEOSCIENCES IR project, the 19th meeting of the National Network of Mining Parks and Museums ReMi-ISPRA will be held on 20, 21 and 22 June 2025 at the Sala Borsellino in San Cataldo (Caltanissetta), in collaboration with UNICT, UNIPA, the Gabara Park, the Municipality of San Cataldo and the patronage of the Regional Order of Geologists.

Press tour of the Life SeaNet project on the island of Montecristo

ISPRA participated today in the Press Tour of the Life Sea.Net project, which took place at the Site of Community Interest of the Island of Montecristo. During the tour, journalists were able to visit the site, learn more about topics regarding the management of Natura 2000 Sites and some of the activities carried out within the project.

The project Life Sea.Net coordinated by Legambiente and which benefits from the participation of ISPRA as the main scientific partner, it aims to improve the management of the marine sites of the Natura 2000 Network and to increase knowledge of the Network and its role in the conservation of marine biodiversity. To provide concrete contributions to improving management, ISPRA has created some operational tools during the project that are part of a real "toolkit" : Handbooks for monitoring species and habitats of Community interest (EU Directives 92/43/EEC and 09/147/CE) in Italy: marine environment and Manual for the application of Appropriate Assessment procedures in marine sites

ISPRA beach sampling campaigns just ended and first Caretta Caretta nests have already appeared

A few days after the end of ISPRA sampling campaigns of beach sediments on some nesting sites of the past seasons, as part of the LIFE Turtlenest project, the first Caretta Caretta nests have been identified in Ascea (Campania), officially giving the go-ahead to the start of the 2025 season.

Since the beginning of 2025, ISPRA has carried out three monthly sampling campaigns, respectively in the Regions of Campania, Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily. A total of 37 sites were sampled. The samplings were conducted in January (Campania), February (Calabria and Basilicata) and March (Sicily).

National Intercomparison of 5G EMF Measurements

The University of Rome Tor Vergata has organized, on June 24-26, a training event on the measurement of electromagnetic fields of 5G systems. The initiative follows the recent publication of the SNPA technical document "Guidelines for the measurement of electromagnetic fields generated by telecommunication systems in 5G technology" which currently represents the state of the art at a national level. The event, sponsored among others by ISPRA, ARPA Lazio and ARPA Piemonte, will be attended by technicians from ARPA/APPA and some companies in the sector who will perform measurement sessions in intercomparison. ISPRA representatives have been involved in the Scientific Committee of the event and will coordinate the technical sessions.

Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area: the ELPIS II wreck

In April, during a series of aerial survey operations for the mapping and characterization of coastal habitats along the entire Italian coast at very high resolution, a new survey of the ELPIS II wreck was carried out, confirming a well-preserved and still intact structure.
The wreck had already been identified by ISPRA using underwater photogrammetry and multibeam surveys, in collaboration with the Carabinieri Subacquei units of Rome and Messina.
Sunk in 1978, the ELPIS II lies on the seabed within the Marine Protected Area of ​​the Egadi Islands, southwest of Isola Formica. The wreck is located at a depth of 16 meters, with the shallowest point just 8.5 meters from the surface. It rises about 8 meters from the seabed and measures approximately 53 meters in length by 11 meters in width.

1st session of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC OEWG 1.0)

The Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) – for a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste has been adopted by the Fifth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management held in Germany, Septmeber 2023. 

The first session of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) of GFC will be helnd in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 24 to 27 june 2025.

UNEP Intergovernmental Meeting to Consider Establishment of New Science Policy Expert Group

The Executive Director of UNEP convened an intergovernmental meeting to consider the establishment of a Science Policy Expert Group to further contribute to the sound management of chemicals and waste and the prevention of pollution at the Punta del Este Convention and Exhibition Centre, Uruguay, from 19 to 20 June 2025.

OEWG 3.2: Third session of UNEP working group on sound management of chemicals and waste and prevention of pollution in Uruguay

The initiative to establish a Science-Policy Panel (SPP), dedicated to the sound management of chemicals and waste and the prevention of pollution, was launched on the basis of UNEA (United Nations Environment Assembly) resolution 5/8, adopted on 2 March 2022. This resolution established the need to establish an intergovernmental group to further contribute to the sustainable management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution globally.

Communicating ecology with science: the Pescasseroli Charter journey at the Montefiascone Integral Ecology Festival

In view of the next edition of the European Night of Researchers, which will take place on September 26 and 27 in various Italian and foreign cities, NET - scieNcE together, in collaboration with Stampa Romana and the Rocca dei Papi Association, continues its commitment to training and dissemination on the crucial themes of Italian science and research. On June 19 and 20, as part of the Festival of Integral Ecology that will take place in Montefiascone (VT) from June 19 to 22, two training days dedicated to science will be held.

Restoration Nature between Sustainability and Economy

Is it enough to protect Nature or do we really need the Nature Restoration Law? Our species has caused enormous damage to Natural Capital, using it beyond its possibilities and significantly altering 75% of the land and 66% of the seas. According to the IUCN, in the next 30 years we could lose half a million to a million species, with catastrophic consequences at the ecosystem level. So how should we proceed?

World Desertification and Drought Day 2025

This year’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought focuses on one of the most pressing global challenges: restoring 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land and building a $1 trillion land restoration economy by 2030.

With the theme “Restoring Land. Unlocking Opportunities,” the 2025 celebration highlights how land restoration can create jobs, increase food and water security, support climate action, and build economic resilience.

More than half of global GDP depends on healthy ecosystems. Yet every year, an area the size of Egypt degrades, causing biodiversity loss, increasing drought risk, and displacing entire communities. The ripple effects are global, from rising food prices to instability and migration.

But land restoration turns the tables. Every dollar invested in restoration generates an economic return of $7 to $30. Revitalizing land restores productivity, strengthens water cycles, and supports millions of rural livelihoods.

IV Seminar of SETAC ILB

The 4th SETAC ILB Seminar will be held in Napoli from 13 to 14 October 2025.
The Italian Language Branch (ILB) of SETAC is the Italian-language section of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), a global non-profit organization dedicated to the study, analysis and solutions of environmental problems, management and regulation of natural resources, research and development, as well as environmental education.
The SETAC ILB is a forum for discussion, exchange of ideas and dialogue between research institutions, environmental authorities and industries, which promotes the application of scientific knowledge to environmental policy.

ISPRA participates in the Eighth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025) underway in Geneva

Taking place from 2 to 6 June 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland, the Eighth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025) is organized and convened by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). The theme of GP2025 is “Every day matters, acting for resilience today”. The United Nations General Assembly recognizes the Global Platform as a global multi-stakeholder forum to review progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. At the Platform, Governments, the United Nations system and all relevant stakeholders come together to share knowledge and discuss the latest developments and trends in disaster risk reduction, identify gaps and make recommendations to further accelerate the implementation of the Sendai Framework.

The GP2025 agenda will be guided by the Sendai Framework, in particular its objective, the four priorities for action and the seven global targets, as well as the key priorities identified in the mid-term review of the Sendai Framework, the GP2022 Co-Chairs' Synthesis and the Regional Platforms meetings held in 2024.

General States of Environmental Information

What will be the most covered environmental topics by the Italian press in the last year? This will be revealed by the Eco Media 2024 Report, now in its eleventh edition, promoted by Pentapolis Institute ETS, by the web magazine Eco in Città, which will be presented in Rome on June 18th at the Roman headquarters of the European Parliament as part of the States General of Environmental Information, during which the Pentapolis Journalists for Sustainability 2025 Award will also be assigned, a symbolic recognition to those professionals who have particularly distinguished themselves in the dissemination, not only scientific, of topics of environmental interest.

7th RaStEM Workshop: a support tool for the design of hydrogeological risk mitigation interventions

RaStEM - Standardized Representation of Mitigation Effects - is a web gis tool developed by ISPRA with the dual purpose of guiding designers to a clear and homogeneous representation of the significant elements of a hydrogeological risk mitigation intervention and supporting them in drafting projects consistent with the criteria established by current legislation (DPCM 27/09/2021) for their financing by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE).

European Parliament Environment Committee approves Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive

On 4 June, the European Parliament's Environment Committee voted on the provisional agreement reached between the Council and Parliament on the directive establishing a framework for monitoring soil health in Europe and for the definition in all Member States of a management system for monitoring, sampling, analysis and management of information and data flows. The aim is to improve soil resilience through sustainable soil management, combating land consumption and managing contaminated sites.

The proposal, which maintains the ambitious and non-binding objective of achieving healthy soils by 2050, will have to be voted on for final passage by the Parliament's Plenary.

International environmental cooperation, MASE – ISPRA technical document

Simplify, rationalize and standardize the processes and tools for managing international environmental cooperation activities, providing a methodological tool useful for managing projects and programs in a clear and unambiguous manner, with precise indicators for monitoring results and evaluation models aligned with international practices.

This is the target of the publication; Towards a Monitoring & Evaluation framework for international environmental cooperation: the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security as a case-study”.

The document was realized as the first output of an operational agreement between ISPRA and the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) signed in 2021, in response to the need of MASE to rationalize and standardize processes and methods in the management of its projects through the use of shared methodologies and tools in the monitoring, evaluation and reporting phases of environmental cooperation initiatives financed by MASE.

Risk scenarios in the Ibleo territorial system

On June 9 and 10, in Ragusa, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) will hold the event organized to conclude the celebrations for the twenty-fifth anniversary of its establishment.

Two days dedicated to scientific research and protection of the territory organized in a geographical and geological context of extraordinary complexity, the Iblean territory, a hinge between Africa and Europe, characterized by a long geodynamic history that makes it the scene of seismic, erosive and hydrogeological phenomena unique in the Mediterranean.

Geological Map of Italy: Presentation Sheets 245 “Albenga” and 213 “Genova” - Emerged and submerged areas

On June 17, 2025, the presentation of the Geological Map of Italy Sheets 245 “Albenga” and 213 “Genova” - Emerged and Submerged Areas will take place in Genoa. The presentation will be held at the “Liguri nel Mondo” Hall, Liguria Region, Via Fieschi 15 – Genoa.

The creation of Sheets 245 “Albenga” and 213 “Genoa” within the framework of an agreement between ISPRA, Liguria Region, University of Genoa and University of Pavia, represents a further important milestone of the CARG Project.

The geological cartography produced for the emerged and submerged areas and the related databases and explanatory notes contain a wealth of fundamental information, which, also through scientific innovations, constitute a new and updated framework of essential knowledge for all operators, professionals, technicians and politicians who deal with land management.

World Environment Day 2025

The World Environment Day 2025 has been celebrated since 1972 and is the United Nations’ main vehicle for encouraging global awareness and action for the environment.
This year’s theme for World Environment Day is plastic pollution, which permeates every corner of the planet, even in our bodies in the form of microplastics. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution.
Drawing inspiration from nature and presenting concrete solutions, the campaign will encourage individuals, organizations, industries and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change.

This year’s World Environment Day falls exactly two months before countries reconvene to continue negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

Every year, approximately 100,000 mammals and one million seabirds die due to entrapment in abandoned fishing nets or after ingesting the fragments they release into the sea. 86% of marine waste found on the seabed is attributable to fishing activities, with a clear prevalence of abandoned, lost or disused fishing lines, ropes and nets (ISPRA data). Ghost nets are therefore one of the most insidious forms of marine pollution.

For this reason, ISPRA, the implementing body of the PNRR MER project, has entrusted the economic operators Fondazione Marevivo, Castalia Consorzio Stabile and CoNISMa, the National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, in the “GhostNets” operation, with the recovery of fishing nets and gear abandoned or accidentally lost at sea.

Abandoned nets represent one of the most dangerous threats to the ecosystem, because when they settle on the seabed they become deadly traps for many living species. Their deterioration into tiny fragments also generates the release of microplastics that are ingested by animals and end up, consequently, in the food chain.

ISPRA participates in the eighth General Assembly of the Copernicus Climate Change Service

ISPRA, within the framework of the Italian initiative for the National Collaboration Programme (NCP) of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) which it coordinates, will participate in the 8th C3S General Assembly and the 3rd C3S NCP Forum in Valencia from 2 to 4 June.

Presentation of Sheet 539 Mogoro of the Geological Map of Italy

On June 27, 2025, the official presentation of Sheet 539 Mogoro of the Geological Map of Italy will take place in Cagliari, curated by the Geological, Hydrogeological and Hydrographic Department of ARPAS.

Funded by ISPRA in 2020 and launched in the same year by ARPAS, the Mogoro Sheet represents an important milestone in the field of National Geological Cartography (CARG Project). It is a fundamental tool for territorial planning and an essential technical-scientific support for geologists, professionals and operators active in the territory, including in the tourism sector.

The event will begin with the official institutional greetings ceremony. Following this, an in-depth analysis of the CARG Project at a national level will be presented, with speeches by the General Director of ISPRA, Maria Siclari, Dr. Maria Teresa Lettieri, director in charge of the CAR Service, the Technical Scientific Director of ARPAS, Romano Ruggeri, and the Director of the Geological Department of ARPAS, Domenico Caracciolo.

The meeting of the Multidisciplinary Scientific Advisory Group of Experts (MESAG) of the seventh edition of the Global Earth Outlook is underway in the Republic of Korea

From 2 to 6 June, the Authors and Multidisciplinary Scientific Advisory Group of Experts (MESAG) meeting of the seventh edition of the Global Earth Outlook (GEO-7) will be held at the Halla University Convention Center, on the island of Jeju-do, Republic of Korea.

GEO is the flagship report of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and provides a comprehensive assessment of the state and prospects of the global environment. UNEP is entrusted with study and operational functions, to provide technical assistance to developing countries, including in the field of environmental legislation.

The last edition, GEO-6, published in 2019, focused on the theme "Healthy Planet, Healthy People" and aimed to provide policy makers and society with potential solutions to achieve the environmental dimension of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (known as SDGs) of the United Nations Agenda for 2030.

Preview at Flowpath 2025: the new Hydrogeological Map of Italy at 1:500,000 scale

ISPRA will present the new Hydrogeological Map of Italy (CII500K), the cartography that maps the country's groundwater, during the scientific conference Flowpath 2025, scheduled in Turin from 11 to 13 June. This is an important milestone for the knowledge, management and protection of groundwater at a national level.

The CII500K was born from an intense collaboration between ISPRA and the University of Milan - Department of Earth Sciences "Ardito Desio", as part of a research agreement aimed at systematizing and harmonizing regional hydrogeological knowledge on a national scale, and was also achieved thanks to both the scientific and economic contribution of the CARG Project.

ISPRA presents today the "Sea Sentinel"

The "Sea Sentinel" was presented today at the ISPRA headquarters in Rome, as the mobile unit (UMRO) is called, which represents a technological vanguard for coastal marine monitoring. The unit was acquired as part of the B19 intervention of the PNRR MER PROJECT.

Thanks to its technical equipment and operational capacity in the field, the UMRO allows the real-time detection of the main marine parameters, integrating the data collected with those from other monitoring sources.

The Mobile Unit will officially become part of the Institute's coastal marine environment monitoring system. With the Sea Sentinel, Italian scientific research takes a step forward in the protection of marine ecosystems, making surveillance and intervention in situations of environmental risk, such as oil spills or the anomalous presence of floating waste, more efficient.

Launch of the new video of the Network for the study of mycological diversity

On the occasion of the XII Scientific Committee of the Umbrian Mycological Association A.MI. (Foligno, May 30-June 2), the new video of the Ndm network, promoted by ISPRA to support the national census of macromycetes, will be officially presented.

The video describes the census initiative, together with the objectives and tools created by ISPRA for the involvement of mycologists, experts and institutions in the study and protection of fungal diversity in Italy.

With IdroGEO you can know if the area where you live is at risk of landslides and floods

The IdroGEO platform allows the consultation, download and sharing of data, maps, reports, documents of the Inventory of Landslide Phenomena in Italy - IFFI, of the national maps of danger for landslides and floods and of the risk indicators. In the "Pericolosità a rischio" section, it is possible to view the levels of danger for landslides and floods on a map. The user can search for an address, geolocate themselves, query the data, create a report and verify the danger at a point of interest by viewing the perimeter of the geographical areas that could be affected by the flooding of a watercourse.