Ferrara Fiere recently hosted REMTECH Expo 2025, solidifying its position as a leading European event for environmental risk prevention and climate change adaptation. Within this context, the URBANFLOODS project, funded by the INTERREG IPA ADRION programme, played a key role by presenting its innovative approach to flood management through cooperative governance.
On September 17, as part of the scientific session on “Tools for Participatory Territorial Governance,” organised by ALTA SCUOLA and SIGEA – APS, URBANFLOODS representatives shared the project’s methodologies and results with a highly specialised audience. The meeting, which included experts in urban planning, engineering, meteorology, and civil protection, highlighted the critical importance of an integrated and collaborative approach to building resilient territories.
A Systemic Approach to Prevention
The URBANFLOODS presentation, led by Giovanni Iacono and Matteo Pirrè, President and external consultant of SVI.MED, respectively, showcased how the project is developing an Advanced Decision Support System for flood control. However, the true core of the project lies in its model of participatory governance, which is built on deep and continuous interaction with key stakeholders.
During the session, Iacono and Pirrè outlined the key steps of this process, which include:
- National stakeholder meetings: To actively involve institutions and local communities in defining risk management strategies.
- Targeted expert interviews: To gather technical and scientific knowledge from a wide range of specialists.
- Institutional collaboration: A strategic partnership with bodies such as Regional Civil Protection Departments, River Basin Authorities, and ISPRA, to integrate technical solutions with existing regulatory and operational frameworks.
This multidisciplinary approach is essential to ensure that solutions are not only technically sound but also socially accepted and implementable within complex territorial contexts.
Outcomes and Future Perspectives
The participation of URBANFLOODS at REMTECH Expo 2025 was met with great interest from the audience, who appreciated the project’s emphasis on collaboration and long-term vision. The feedback received at the fair was overwhelmingly positive, confirming that integrating an advanced technological system with a participatory governance model represents an effective path forward for addressing hydrogeological risks.
The event proved to be an opportunity for discussion and learning, allowing the SVI.MED team to gain new perspectives and strategies for risk management. The contacts and ideas that emerged from the dialogue with other professionals in the sector will now be integrated into the next phases of the project, strengthening its impact and its ability to contribute to greater territorial resilience.
The REMTECH Expo 2025 experience reinforced the idea that combating floods and natural disasters requires not only technological innovation but also a robust framework of cooperation among all involved parties, from public bodies to local communities. In this sense, URBANFLOODS stands as a virtuous example of how science and governance can work in synergy for the common good.