The WaterCycle Project - Objectives

The Project WaterCycle focuses on the exchange of experiences, good practices and pilot actions in the field of planning and managing water resources in catchment’s basins, coastal areas and lagoons on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, with a view to developing new synergies and technical and scientific cross-border partnerships. The valorisation of the surface water network as territorial resource and the identification of innovative “organizational/institutional” instruments and sustainable, effective management forms is extremely important for territorial public institutions and local communities. In line with the EU directives implemented in national and regional law, public bodies will soon be called upon to draw up its own action in water protection. Thus the need for suitable instruments to ensure the correct planning and management of surface waters, given the hydrological, hydraulic and management characteristics of the waters of this area.

Therefore, the general objective of this Project is starting a fruitful exchange of knowledge and expertise, carrying out experiments and pilot actions coordinated among the Province of Ferrara and the Provincial Authorities and other institutions of the Italian Regions Marche, Molise and Puglia, as well as the PAO partners working on planning and managing surface waters on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea.

The project will turn into an important moment of technical and scientific growth for all the Partners involved, whereas public institutions will benefit from the ensuing transfer of professional expertise developed independently but targeted at analogue working areas.

Specific objectives:

The WaterCycle Project foresees diversified action plans outlined according to the characteristics of the relevant areas, identified during the preparatory phase of the Project. The objectives of the action plans will be specific and, at the same time, inter-connected and complementary:

- Improve the instruments for the evaluation and management of the territory in keeping with the characteristics of the local background. These instruments should be applicable also to the management of other territories, should ensure an appropriate description of the water regimen of the territory and the evaluation of the response to the recovery actions envisaged by the Water Protection Plan, while making reference to the models of hydrodynamic management of coastal lagoons;
- Improving the environmental quality of water in the urban territory in terms of sustainability and pre-emption of pollution;
- Implementing systems for the improvement and rationalization of water resources, enabling better use and recycling;
- Starting a technical working group to foster a systemised and integrated overview of the water problem shared by all Institutions and Bodies of Apulia;
- Provide the regional authority with the necessary instruments to manage and monitor water, thus giving it a new role as mediator between central government and citizens, fostering participation and implementing policies for the correct management of water and the pre-emption of pollution;
- Achieve efficiency in the system for the management and treatment of waste water through planning, environmental protection and quality of life;
- Renovate the whole water resource management system, in particular the management system for waste water, creating fruitful partnerships between private and public sector, with particular reference to the safeguard and protection of the environment;
- Widening the structure for the management of waste water in rural areas surrounding cities, improving the quality of life;
- Creating a system for the management of waste water at urban level, which can deal with local intricate environmental situations (the Lake of Shkoder) and meet the needs of urban areas.