Progress report for
Supporting and strengthening the participation of local communities in the integrated management of water resources, flood risk and local development through the River Contracts - RCs (Contratti di Fiume - CdF).
Achievement at a glance
The National Platform of River Contracts (database) developed to monitor the River Contracts (RC) has been completed and most of the beneficiaries (all River Basin District Authorities and 6 of 19 Regions and Autonomous Provinces) have signed a specific agreement with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security. It is expected to become fully operational by December 31, 2024.All Regions have transposed in local regulation the Art. 68 bis of Legislative Decree No. 152/2006 which foreseen that River Contracts contribute, as a voluntary-based tools of strategic and negotiated planning, to the integrated management of water resources, flood risk and local development at catchment and sub-catchment scale. River Contract, referring not only to a water course, but also to a lake, a coast, an aquifer, a lagoon, are implemented as a measure of River Basin Management Plan of all Basin District Authorities, as well as the Italian Program of Measures of Marine Strategy Directive 56/2008/EC (2016, 2022).
Currently in Italy 80 River Contract have been subscribed of the 200 processes activated through the creation of public-private partnerships.
Challenges faced in implementation
RC are a valuable tool for transnational cooperation with particular reference to transboundary watersheds and the Mediterranean sea. RC are being tested in several pilot areas in international cooperation projects funded by the European Union• Interreg Med 2007-2014 WATERINCORE
• Interreg Med 2014-2020 WETNET: 9 pilot areas
• Interreg Med 2014-2020 COASTING: 10 pilot areas
• Interreg Marittimo 2014-2020 Retralags: 4 pilot areas
• Interreg Med 2014-2020 TUNE UP: 10 pilot areas
• Interreg 2014-2020 Italia-Croazia CREW: 7 pilot areas
• Interreg Euro-Med 2021-2027 WE GO COOP
Next Steps
Giuseppe Lo PrestiBeneficiaries
Regions and Autonomous Provinces, Mediterranean countries
Actions
Since the submission of the commitment (2023), 6 additional river contracts, located in four regions (Toscana, Lazio, Molise, Emilia Romagna) have been subscribed, for a total of about 80 of the 200 processes activated through the creation of public-private partnerships:Contratto del Fiume Elsa (Toscana),
Contratto Capodacqua Santa Croce (Lazio) https://www.contrattodifiumecapodacquasantacroce.it/;
Contratto “Area Marina protetta delle secche di Torpaterno (Lazio)
Contratto del Biferno (Molise)
Contratto dell’Alto Volturno (Molise 2023)
Contratto Parma-Baganza (www.parmabaganza.it)
The governance of the commitment has been consolidated by convening the Regional Assemblies of River Contracts organized in 18 Italian regions between May and December 2023 and the XII National Board of River Contracts with the involvement of beneficiaries and strengthening public-private partnership.