Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region

LOMBARDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region (RAS)
2013 | 2014
Supported by Lombardia Region and Lombardia Foundation for the Environment
Lombardy plain
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region (RAS)
1
The Lombardia region | Population, area, territorial features
5
2
Main climate challenges | Climate stressors, trends, projections
7
3
The multi-disciplinary approach of the Lombardia RAS | Key factors
13
4
Lombardia RAS: main outputs
| Steps and elements
17
5
FLA’s Mission
| General presentation
21
6
FLA’s activities and projects
| Research, training, dissemination 25
7
FLA’s stakeholders and contacts
| Relationship and cooperation
31
2013 | 2014
Supported by Lombardia Region and Lombardia Foundation for the Environment
3
Overhead view of the city | Milano (Mi)
01
LOMBARDIA REGION
4
01
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Population, area, territorial features
The Lombardia region
The Lombardia region (Italy), owing to its
peculiar geography (extended mountain areas, steep valleys and high-flow rivers) and
to its socio-economic features, is subjected to
a high vulnerability to the impacts of climate
change.
Past trends and future projections suggest a
marked rise in mean temperature, changes
in seasonal precipitation patterns and an increase in frequency and intensity of extreme
climate-related events such as heat waves,
severe droughts, extensive floods and massive
landslides.
AREA: 23,844 km2
POPULATION: 9.8 million
INSTITUTIONAL STATUS:
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION
Source: ESA. 2011
5
Ticino River | Varallo Pombia (NO)
02
MAIN CLIMATE CHALLENGES
6
02
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Summer precipitation anomalies in % compared to the
average of the period 1971-2000.
Climate stressors, trends, projections
Source: ISAC CNR, 2013.
The challenge of climate change requires a two-fold response strategy:
On the one hand the adoption of measures to reduce greenhouse gases
emissions (i.e., mitigation policies); on the other hand actions to reduce
the vulnerability of the local natural and socio-economic systems in order
to increase their resilience towards the inevitable impacts of a changing
climate (i.e. adaptation measures ).
The climatic stressors acting on the regional territory are responsible of
a variety of impacts, in different natural, social and economic sectors. In
this context, the Guidelines for the implementation of the Regional Adaptation Strategy in Lombardia (FLA. 2012) have provided the
first step for an evaluation of the main climate change impacts and an
integrated assessment of the vulnerability of the socio-economic and
natural systems, paving the road to the implementation of a subsequent regional adaptation strategy.
LAT [deg]
Main climate challenges
LON [deg]
% [deviation from the 1971-2000 mean value]
-100
-50
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
How to read this graph: 0= Normal +25= Normal + 25% (i.e. 1.25 times the normal)
-25= Normal - 25% (i.e. 0.75 times the normal) (Please note theasymmetric scale)
7
Sectors and climate challenges for Lombardia region
MACRO SECTORS
SECTORS
MAIN CLIMATE CHALLENGES
RISK MANAGEMENT AND
SOIL DEFENCE
Increase in hydro-geological hazard
AIR QUALITY
Increase in water scarcity an
decrease of water quality
Favourable condition for air Pollutants
Accumulation (ozone and particulate
matter)
MOUNTAIN AREAS
Cryosphere melting
BIODIVERSITY
AND PROTECTED AREAS
Extinction of species, habitat
modification and shifts in species
distribution
WATER SUPPLY AND QUALITY
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
8
MACRO SECTORS
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
HUMAN AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
SECTORS
MAIN CLIMATE CHALLENGES
AGRICULTURE
Water stress and diffusion of pests
TRANSPORTS AND MOBILITY
Impacts on transport infrastructures
TOURISM
Rise of snow cover limit
ENERGY
Decrease in hydroelectric
production capacity
HUMAN HEALTH
Heat waves and vector-borne
deseases
URBAN PLANNING
Impacts on urban infrastructures
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Materials and structures
degradation
9
EXAMPLES
The proximity of measured O3 concentrations
to the EU target value in 2011
Regional hydropower production versus hydroelectric
power capacity from 2000 to 2012
Source: ISAC, CNR. 2013
Source: FLA with data from TERNA. 2013
22500
60000
21900
50000
21700
45000
21500
21300
40000
21100
20900
35000
20700
30000
100-110
≤100
No data
10
110-120
120-140
Countries/regions not included in the data exchange process
20
12
20
11
20
10
20
09
20
08
20
07
20
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
01
20
00
Twenty-sixth highst ozone 2010, based on daily running 8 h max with percentage of valid measurements ≥ 75% in µg/m3
20500
year
>140
Hydroelectric power capacity
Gross hydroelectric production
Gross hydroelectric production in (GWh)
Installed power capacity in (MW)
Installed power capacity in (MW)
22100
Gross hydroelectric production in (GWh)
22300
55000
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Future projections of snow lifts above the Snow
Reliability Line in an Italian Alps ski resort under
climate change for 2050 (using A2 SRES scenario).
Source: Kyoto Lombardia project; FLA. 2008
Ski resort | Valsassina (LC)
Ski lift plants
Altitude in meters
1700 - 1950
1950 - 3200
Snow-reliability
No
Yes
11
Ponte Vecchio Bridge | Pavia (PV)
03
THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH
OF THE LOMBARDIA RAS
12
03
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Key factors
The multi-disciplinary approach of the
Lombardia RAS
The impacts of climate change are complex and affect a wide range
of policy sectors. Regional authorities often lack technical and administrative capacity for planning and coordinating climate change adaptation across sectoral departments. During the implementation of the
Guidelines for a regional plan for adaptation to climate change
(commissioned and financed by the department for Environment, Energy and Networks of the regional administration) we outlined the main
elements that need to be considered in developing a region-wide or
sector-specific adaptation strategy aimed at incrementing resilience capacity and hence climate proofing in the single sectoral policies.
An important step for the adaptation planning process is to ensure
commitment of all sectoral authorities and to communicate the
urgent need of dealing with climate challenges to decision makers
and stakeholders. .
To this purpose, the FLA team carried out preliminary workshops with
all sectoral departments of the regional administration as well as with
other regional technical bodies (Regional Agency for Environmental
Protection, Energy Efficiency in Building Certification Body, Agency for
Agriculture and Forest Services and others).
North Italy in winter season
13
The aim was to communicate in a plain language the main objectives and results of the
preliminary scientific assessments, as well as
to discuss about key vulnerabilities and adaptation priorities. Through these workshops
the research team was able to convey the
findings clearly and understandably, capturing
the interest of sectorial regional officials and
convincing them to put climate change adaptation on their agenda.
The expert team then identified a liaison within each department and established a set of
bilateral and cross-sectoral relationships. The
consultation process and the review of existing adaptation plans and strategies resulted
in the identification of ten essential elements
that have to be taken into account for a successful regional adaptation strategy.
Key factors for ensuring a successful adaptation strategy in Lombardia
HARMONIZATION WITH THE NATIONAL
ADAPTATION STRATEGY
TO CLIMATE CHANGE
• Consider the information produced at the European level
• Analyze already implemented adapation strategies by EU Member States and Regions
• Work in closed coordination with the Italian National Strategy
COVER KNOWLEDGE GAPS
• Encourage researches on statistical downscaling of Regional
Climate Models to reach more effective spatial resolution
in climate projections
• Improve scientific evidence on impacts and vulnerabilities with
more quantitative data
• Provide continuous monitoring data on weather forecast, sector
activities and related information
DEFINITION OF VULNERABILITIES OF THE
TERRITORY
• Quantification of the most significant impacts
• Evaluate ressilience and adaptive capacity of key systems and sectors to climate change
• Integrated assesment of main risks linked directly or indirectly to climate changes
IDENTIFICATION OF PRIORITIES
SECTORIAL AND INTER-SECTORIAL
ACTION PLANS: MULTILEVEL
GOVERNANCE
14
• Select priorities and adaptation objectives according to the
vulnerability and risk assessment
• Use comunity based decision making suport tool
• Involve all relevant stakeholders, including decision makers, civil
society, sector associations and local governments
• Ensure high level of understanding and acceptance of the strategy
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
INTEGRATION INTO SECTORIAL POLICIES
• Consider tools that help integrating climate change concerns into
sectoral plans such as Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
FINANCING
• Arrange financing through existing funding streams (already agreed sectoral budgets)
• Look for additional sources of financing adaptation using European
Funds (e. g. INTERREG, LIFE and HORIZON 2020)
OPERATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
MANAGEMENT OF THE STRATEGY
• Enstablish a regional department responsible for the coordination
and management of the strategy (Steering Group)
• Define the governance structure for the implementation
MONITORING AND FOLLOW UP OF THE
REGIONAL ADAPTATION STRATEGY
• Enstablish indicators for the continuous monitoring of the
effectiveness and efficiency of the adaptation measures
implemented(Follow-up of the strategy)
• Enstablish mechanisms for periodic revison and updates of the strategy
COMMUNICATION, AWARENESS RISING
AND PARTICIPATION
• Ensure dissemination of the strategy and its results in the future
among all stakeholders
• Organising training and capacity building activities
Guidelines for a regional climate change adaptation strategy in Lombardia. Source: FLA. 2012
15
Val di Mello | San Martino (SO)
04
LOMBARDIA RAS: MAIN OUTPUTS
16
04
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Steps and elements
Lombardia RAS: main outputs
For the elaboration of the oncoming Regional Adaptation Strategy of the Lombardia region, we have previously identified a step-by step implementation process. Such methodological approach may improve the process of elaboration of the RAS and hence increase the likelihood of
success of the regional adaptation pathway, and give guidance to other Italian regional administrations with a transferable case-study.
Key-steps process for the elaboration
of the Lombardia RAS
1
Definition of
specific
action plan
• Evaluation and quantification of present
and future impacts of climate change
per sector
Prepare
The ground
Partecipation
2
5
Monitoring
Proposal of
adaptation
measure
Main elements expected from the RAS of Lombardia Region
Communication
and awareness
rising
Funding
Climatic
characterization
3
4
Regional Impact
and vulnerability
assessment
Source: adapted from Ribeiro et al. 2009
• Evaluation of sectoral vulnerabilities to
present and future climate;
• Estimation of socio-economic costs of
sectoral impacts;
• Evaluation of already implemented
measures in the current sectoral policies,
concerning adaptation co-objectives;
• Evaluation of adaptive capacity of each
sector;
• Proposal and possible estimate of
future adaptation measures per
sector and cross-sectoral issues,
providing methodological support for
mainstreaming the proposed measures
into current sectoral policies, and
monitoring systems;
• Involvement of decision-makers and
other stakeholders in the process
throught out participatory tools;
• Public information and dissemination
thought workshops and online tools, as
well as networking.
Preliminary strategic directions for adaptation
MAIN CLIMATE CHANGES
CHALLENGES PER SECTOR
STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR ADAPTATION
HUMAN HEATH: HEAT WAVE
• Reinforce healthcare services in response to the more frequency and intensity of summer heat waves;
• Increase efforts and resources in prevention and control considering explicitly climate change projections;
• Intensify efforts in reducing the ‘heat urban island’ effects in metropolitan areas (e.g. expand green spaces and urban parks, bioclimatization of
buildings, etc.);
• Promote campaigns of good hygiene practices, food safety and healthy life style.
SOIL DEFENSE: INCREASE IN
HYDRO-GEOLOGICAL HAZARD
• Revaluate the hydro-geological hazard Mitigation Plan of the regional territory by explicitly considering future climate variability;
• Adequate current policies and protection systems in response to the expected increase in flood risk;
• Safeguard the necessary space for water streams, limit the extension of sealed areas to ensure the natural soil capability of water retention and
flood control;
• Adapt the current Early Warning System and emergency management plans to the possible increase of flash flood.
WATER SUPPLY:
WATER STRESS INCREASE
• Reduce water demand in hydro-demanding sectors;
• Optimize available water reservoirs;
• Optimize agriculture and farming systems and techniques;
• Reinforce present monitoring systems;
• Examine legal bases and where necessary take into account changing standard conditions (residual flow, thermoelectric discharge, lake regulation,
water restitution).
TOURISM: RISE OF THE LIMIT
OF SNOW COVER
• Diversify touristic offer as an alternative of winter sports;
• Promote flexibility of existing ski resorts by adapting the opening season to the real snow availability;
• Promote cost-benefit analyses to existing ski areas to evaluate its environmental and economic suitability with regards to future scenarios;
• Include climatic consideration in the feasibility assessment of future ski areas, discouraging the use of massive artificial snow;
• Reinforce current monitoring and forecasting weather systems and risks protection infrastructures especially in touristic alpine areas.
AGRICULTURE: WATER STRESS
AND DIFFUSION OF PESTS
• Promote the application of new agricultural techniques for water saving and for minimize the effects of extreme events on crops (in harmony with the
objectives of mitigation and water manvinagement);
• Promote conservative soil management practices to maintain its main functions: natural fertility, capacity to act as carbon sink, water retention ability and
biodiversity protection;
• Improve farmers access to climate suitability maps, drought forecast and pest / diseases monitoring systems;
• Reallocate crops production to the new suitable areas;
• Define good climate adaptation practices to support farmers along the adaptation process (e.g. providing ad hoc insurance mechanisms, fight instruments to
plants diseases).
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Source: FLA. 2012
MAIN CLIMATE CHANGES
CHALLENGES PER SECTOR
MOUNTAIN AREAS:
PERMAFROST AND GLACIERS
MELTING
STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR ADAPTATION
• Ensuring continuous monitoring and updating of hazard cartography in alpine areas explicitly accounting for future climate projections;
• Analyze and optimize (if necessary) existing protection systems considering the evolution of natural risks and privileging the use of natural protection
system in supplementary protection activities;
• Continuously improve integrated methodologies for identifying new natural hazard processes, considering also changes in hazard of areas already
under risk caused by climate change;
• Ensure coordination and collaboration with adjacent alpine countries.
BIODIVERSITY AND PROTECTED
AREAS: LOSS OF SPECIES,
HABITAT MODIFICATION AND
SHIFTS IN SPECIES DISTRIBUTION
• Safeguard the most representative areas in terms of biology conservation, with special attention to the rare or in delicate state of equilibrium habitats;
• Reduce cognitive gaps and uncertainties in relation to the appearance, settlement, diffusion and fight against alien species and vector disease;
• Reduce habitats fragmentation and ensure the progressive connectivity of regional protected areas network considering shifts of species distribution due to new climate conditions;
• Expand existing protected areas to preserve the target species for which is expected a shrink in its spatial distribution due to climate changes.
ENERGETIC SECTOR: DECREASE
IN HYDROELECTRIC PRODUCTION
CAPACITY
• Promote information and rising awareness campaigns for saving energy;
• Create more incentives and promote building greening and planting trees to save energy in residential areas;
• Enhance sensitivity studies concerning the effects new climate conditions in main renewable energy sectors to identify local weakness and
opportunities (e.g. possible expansion in solar energy suitability).
TRANSPORTS AND MOBILITY:
IMPACTS ON TRANSPORT
INFRASTRUCTURE
• Strengthen the existing monitoring and risk analysis plans to identify main vulnerabilities and priorities for transportation infrastructure;
• Promote the adoption of transport infrastructure that can resist meteorological extremes (thermally stable materials, draining asphalt);
• Combine the adaptation efforts with the promotion of the use of low emission transportation facilities;
• Review and update if necessary the authorization processes and normative bases of transport infrastructure’s planning considering future climate changes.
AIR QUALITY: FAVORABLE
CONDITION FOR AIR
POLLUTANTS ACCUMULATION
• Cover the cognitive gaps on the climate change implications in atmospheric pollution (mechanism of influence of climatic variables on the dynamic of main
atmospheric pollutants);
• Adequate the present surveillance and alarm systems to the future increase of acute atmospheric pollution situations;
• Strengthen technical measures to decrease emissions of fine particulate and precursors of ozone;
• Promote soil management practices that can enhance the adsorption of air pollutants and concomitantly ensure carbon sequestration.
19
Tipical Lombard ecosistem
05
FLA’S MISSION
20
05
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
General presentation
FLA’s Mission
Fondazione Lombardia per l’Ambiente (Lombardia Foundation for the Environment), FLA, is
a “nonprofit scientific foundation” established in
1986 by the Lombardia Regional Council to enhance and promote the technical and scientific
knowledge on industrial risk. The aim of the
activities of FLA is to give a high scientific
advice to policy makers and to the general
public, conducting research, training and education in the environmental field.
FLA works with the Region of Lombardia, organizations and institutes of national and international research: its programs are held every
year with absolute rigor, under the direction of a
scientific committee which includes the rectors
of five Lombardy Universities. Results are then
shared with local, professional and production
leaders enforcing top environmental governance policies.
The role of the Foundation is particularly
strategic for evaluation, synthesis and development function in terms of integrated
policies of international planning guidelines
on scientific matters most innovative environmental, related to the issues of climate
change, transboundary pollution, protected
areas, environmental sustainability, economic development and, more generally, targeted interventions in the governance of the
Lombard territory.
The connection with the technical-scientific
bodies of the European Community and accreditation with the Secretariat of the United Nations have allowed the Foundation to
be a promoter of an international network
of expertise and knowledge in support of
environmental institutions, from business,
schools and environmental associations.
It also addresses to the general public by providing free scientific publications downloaded from
the website www.flanet.org, organizing conferences and events on environmental issues.
21
Research, training, dissemination
FLA’s activities and projects
The research activities of the Lombardia Foundation for the Environment revolve around
environmental issues and, thanks to its skills
acquired in almost thirty years of activity,
FLA has become an important reference
point for the research and dissemination
the regional and national landscape, enabling it to participate in important calls of
the European Union programs (Med, Alpine
Space, Youth in Action, IEE, ...). The development of the networking and international relations established in the past, allows ensuring support for international activities of the
Lombardia Region, thanks to the effective collaboration within the Four Motors of Europe
and the World Regions Forum.
The Foundation sits at the table of major
international environmental meetings and
works collaboratively with international
22
partners, to help all parts of society understand environmental issues. It takes part in
the most significant initiatives to update and
study topics of air quality, climate change,
sustainable development and biodiversity.
Since 2000s, FLA has participated in the Conference of the Parties under United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and, following its accreditation by
the UN, in the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in
2002.
At the national level is increasingly consolidated collaboration with the Ministry for the
Environment, Land and Sea, which is growing
and intensified over time offering more and
more opportunities to develop project activities.
A specific task of the Foundation is the development of a science-for-policy approach,
based on the transfer of knowledge from
research & development to the Public Administration, through the creation and improvement of decision support systems and
management practices aimed to a better
governance and policy-making at legislative,
administrative and management level.
FLA’s Air Quality and Climate Change key
division studies the impact of pollutants (including particulate matter and ground-level
ozone) and climate change on human health
and ecosystems. FLA also studies the climate
change mitigation policies and measures at
regional level.
FLA’s key research programs include industrial risk assessment and related EU Directives; following European scientific commu-
nity’s strategies, FLA has recently improved
its knowledge and action in the field of
security, specifically working on the management of integrated risk and promoting
research programs on the integrated local
management of natural and technological
hazards.
Implementing the efforts of the European
Community and its Directives on Biodiversity and Protected Areas, FLA’s dedicated
division has started several actions to support local policies aimed at the safeguard of
protected animal and vegetal species and
habitats.
The Foundation, in keeping with the guidelines of the United Nations in the field of
Sustainable Development and virtuous
practices suitable to achieve it, directs intensive activities to promote good practice
in the Lombard communes, promoting forums with stakeholders and developing
reports on the environmental and action
Plans.
The Foundation also acts as a centre for
training, information and dissemination
activities addressed to stimulate awareness of environmental issues toward social
and industrial bodies and general public, as
well as to technical updating of the Public
Administration.
FLA’s Environmental Law Enforcement
division studies European environmental
regulations and their national and regional
enforcement; FLA has dedicated to this major topic a series of publications and reports
on the Italian and Lombard legislations as
related to European current laws.
FLA’s Ground and surface waters division
develops key experimental research programs on the preservation, protection and
management of surface and underground
waters.
FLA’s Noise and physical agents division
studies all physical environmental factors
that can endanger human health and the
quality of life: noise pollution, low- and
high-frequency electromagnetic fields. The
Foundation assists local authorities in setting
up their acoustic classification and recovery
plans, which are developed with state-ofthe-art methodologies and equipment.
In 2006 the Foundation achieved the EMAS
Registration that fits into the context of the
certification of Quality and Environment
System, according to UNI EN ISO 9001:2008
and EN ISO 14001:2004.
23
Monza-Brianza Area • FLA’s head office
Seveso (MB)
FLA’s activities and projects
1. Air quality and climate change
2. Biodiversity
3. Integrated risk management
4. Environmental education
5. Sustainable development
6. Compliance and enforcement
7. Ground and surface waters
8. Noise pollution and physical agents
9. International activities
06
24
06
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Research, training, dissemination
FLA’s activities and projects
1. Air quality and climate change
Climate change and air pollution are getting more and more crucial issues
even since they proved to be strictly interconnected. Human health, ecosystems services, cultural heritage and ultimately the quality of our life are increasingly affected by a changing climate and by the air we breathe.
The Foundation Lombardia for the Environment is deeply aware that any attempt to tackle these challenges has to be build on sound scientific basis and,
at the same time, strengthened by the direct involvement of all the related
social, political and economic stakeholders.
To this purpose the Foundation is promoting and supporting:
•• Research projects on the air pollutants’ effects on the human health and
ecosystems and related risk assessment;
•• Studies on local climate trends and support to policy makers in the definition of adaptation strategies and mitigation measures.
•• Collaboration with research centers and institutions at regional, national
and international levels for the implementation of specific programs on
the use of renewable energies and carbon-free practices.
•• Management of CRINES (Research Centre for Air Pollution Impact on
Ecosystems), where the effects of air pollutants on agricultural crops
and forests are investigated by on-field experimental studies
•• Assessment of technological, environmental, economic and social effectiveness of policies for the improvement of air quality.
25
2. Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of species that jointly live on the Earth, related to
ecosystems. The Foundation has acquired an important role in protecting
biodiversity at the regional level: implementing the efforts of the European Community on the protection of the natural environment, FLA supports
organizations and local governments on the safeguard of Lombardia natural ecosystems. Contributions in this field include research and monitoring programs of the protected areas and species, scientific support in the
promotion of local integrated policy programs ant the implementation
of management strategies in compliance with provisions of the National
Biodiversity Strategy and the EC Directives “Habitat” and “Birds”.
FLA’s Biodiversity and Protected areas division is currently implementing
the Regional Ecological Network at local scale and is promoting actions for
the protection of local biodiversity. It’s also an official member of Regional
Biodiversity Observatory.
3. Integrated Risk Management
The Foundation gives technical and scientific support to regional and national level in the field of integrated risk management (i.e. natural hazard
and technological risk also in the same accidental event). The related
activities of the Foundation in this area are:
•• Studies about the theme of safety, especially about the territorial inte26
grated management in the context of the natural and technological risk.
•• Implementation and coordination of studies and research on Major
Accident Hazard that can happen in industrial area.
•• Deep studies about the practical consequences of the application of
the “Seveso” Directives and the prevention of risk related on (evaluation of safety reports within the industries and the development of
response plans in case of emergency).
4. Environmental Education
Environmental education is among FLA’s statutory key concern; projects,
publications and initiatives promote the framing of new environment
awareness and culture among scientists, students, educators and citizens.
FLA implements environmental education activities for thousands of Lombardia elementary, middle and high school students and works with important regional partners (among which the Lombardia Regional Council
and Fondazione Cariplo) in the promotion of research projects on sustainable development to help young people get involved in protecting the
environment.
The latest educational project is “Meravigliosambiente”, a 10-booklets kit
focused on main environmental topics, addressed to primary schools and
distributed for free to over 60.000 students of Lombardia.
All publications and reports can be downloaded for free from the Foundation’s website.
Alpine Space • Cancano’s dike | Sondrio (SO)
5. Sustainable Development
The Foundation, in compliance with international guidelines on sustainable
development, promotes good practices at local scale, especially those related
to land planning.
The related activities in this area are:
•• Support to local authorities to implement the principles of sustainable development;
•• Integration of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) into plans/programmes/policies;
•• Implementation of measures for environmental mitigation and compensation in urban/land planning;
•• Analysis and governance of peri-urban areas.
6. Compliance and enforcement
The advancements occurred within Italian environmental law in the last 30
years and the complex framework which resulted, prove that all parts of the
“environment” on the whole have been benefitting from a shared view in this
field. This lead to the issuing of complex regulations and laws, which are often
hard to understand and apply.
FLA’s Compliance and Enforcement Area studies European environmental regulations and their national and regional enforcement; FLA has dedicated to
this major topic a series of publications and reports on the Italian and Lombardia legislations as related to European current laws.
27
The related activities of the Foundation in this area are also: training opportunities for environmental professional, research project, conference and seminars
to inform the public and the stakeholders about top law issues, law professionals’ response and discussion with academic community.
7. Ground and surface waters
FLA’s Ground and Surface Waters division develops key experimental research
programs on the preservation, protection and management of surface and
underground waters . FLA is specifically concerned about Lombardia rivers and
lakes water quality and biological community assessement. Using the river and
Perilacual Funcionality and Morphological Indexes (IFF, IFP,IQM) FLA provides
local authorities with top scientific information for the proper for governance of
such critical areas. In particular FLA provides Lombardia Region for the development of new protection and use water plan (PTUA).
FLA’s studies and research have assessed the global state-of-the-art of Lombardia environment, thus allowing the proper governance of areas covered by
water courses, according to sustainable development issues.
8. Noise pollution and physical agents
Acoustics and Physical Agents division studies all physical environmental factors that can endanger human health and the quality of life. The Foundation
assists Lombardia local authorities in setting up their Acoustic Recovery and
28
Classification Plans, thanks to the work of leading experts and the use of stateof-the-art technologies. The division has also completed the MIRCA (Acoustic
Classifications’ Regional Computer-based Mosaic) project, which helped obtain
and digitally rework the Acoustic Classification Plans of all Lombardia municipalities. The project aimed at setting up a computer-based land registry available on the Lombardia Regional Council geoportal.
9. International Activities
Working in partnership with authoritative European research centres and the
main institutional stakeholders of the Lombardia region, Fondazione Lombardia
per l’Ambiente has achieved a leading role in driving scientific knowledge and
technical expertise into the policy-making in the sectors of environmental risk
assessment and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
The Foundation actively participate in the major international meetings and
events on the most relevant environmental issues and works with several international partners in a number of collaborative European projects on air quality, integrated risk assessment, climate change and sustainable development.
Since 2000, FLA has participated in the Conference of the Parties of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and, following its
accreditation by the UN, in the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development
held in Johannesburg in 2002.
Locally, the Foundation supports the enforcement of European policies, by
participating in major EU projects in different funding schemes like LIFE, 7th
Framework Program, Interreg IV C, IEE and ESPON programs.
Piazza Duomo | Milano (MI)
29
Monza-Brianza Area • FLA’s head office
Seveso (MB)
07
FLA’S STAKEHOLDERS AND CONTACTS
30
07
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Relationship and cooperation
FLA’s stakeholders and contacts
Students
Teachers
FLA believes that environmental education plays
an essential role (is an unavoidable duty) for his
work.
For this reason FLA realized over the years several environmental education projects for all-aged
students (children).
•• These are in brief the activities addressed to
the students:
•• planning of educational competitions focused
on environmental issues;
•• free distribution of educational games during
training meetings with students and teachers;
•• activity of awareness for the students through
guided tours, research studies and informative
journeys (training days);
•• assignment of grants (scholarships) for recent
graduates;
•• allocation of funds for research projects.
FLA considers very important the upgrade of the
teaching staff on environmental issues, for this
reason supports the educational activity by:
•• organizing training days (training session) for
teachers;
•• arranging educational material on specific demand (request).
Scientific community
FLA collaborates with outstanding (eminent)
research partners selected among the most important regional and national universities and
scientific research facilities by:
•• promoting networking (=creazione di una rete
di contatti) between research groups in order
to realize national and European projects;
•• realizing environmental research activity;
•• editing scientific publications as a result of the
carried out researches;
•• organizing conventions and workshops (round
tables).
General public
FLA considers it essential to make studies and
researches that leads available to all the persons
that are interested in too.
The general public has access indeed to:
•• popular scientific publications for free and
downloadable from internet;
•• conferences on the most relevant environmental issues;
•• an always updated website.
Agencies and organizations
FLA collaborates with agencies and organizations
that deal with environment.
31
The activities in this field can be summarized as
follows:
•• team-working with trade associations, environmental organizations and non-governmental organizations;
•• promotion of open conferences on environmental issues;
•• active participation at the Conferences of the
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as far as concerns
the negotiation for the implementation of the
Kyoto Protocol.
Companies
FLA pays special attention to the business world
too.
In brief, the products aimed at companies are:
•• specific studies on Integrated Risk Companies
and on relevant risk, in general;
•• analysis focused on air and noise pollution;
32
•• studies and researches on sustainable waste
management;
•• legal researches on environmental law;
•• guidelines, procedures and manuals that govern business activity;
•• reduction and offsetting carbon projects.
Local institutions: region, province,
municipality
FLA assists local authorities in the study and territory government with some heterogeneous
and targeted activities.
The tasks that FLA often takes to support local
institutions are:
•• sustainable management of Parks and Protected Areas;
•• implementation of projects for acoustic classification or noise control;
•• control and management of Water Resources;
•• implementation of studies and researches on
the management of waste and polluted sites;
•• implementation of Strategic Environmental
Assessment (SEA) and support activities for
land-use plans;
•• specific studies on integrated risk;
•• organization of training activities for the promotion of the “practice of sustainability “at the
government as part of Local Agenda 21;
•• analysis of the main air pollutants to support
technical development of policies;
•• collaborations with regional organizations and
research centers.
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Lombardia Region
Alpine Space • Como Lake | Bellagio (CO)
33
LOMBARDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
www.flanet.org
Largo 10 Luglio 1976, 1 – 20822 Seveso (MI), Italy
tel. 0039-02-806161.12
Fabrizio Piccarolo, Director
Lombardia Foundation for the Environment
[email protected]
Antonio Ballarin Denti, Scientific Coordinator
Lombardia Foundation for the Environment
[email protected]
Mita Lapi, Head of Climate Change and Air Quality Unit
Lombardia Foundation for the Environment
[email protected]
Juan Terradez Mas, Scientific expert
Lombardia Foundation for the Environment
[email protected]
Monza-Brianza Area • FLA’s head office
Seveso (MB)
LOMBARDIA FOUNDATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
www.flanet.org