From Droughts and Floods to Landslides – How do we preserve agricultural and cultural landscapes and ecosystems during extreme weather events?

Several years of drought followed by heavy rains during the month of May this year triggered more than 1,000 landslides and 23 bank failures in the Po River valley in Northern Italy. These events occur in the context of a very serious and ongoing crisis that has affected the entire Po area and caused repercussions on the agricultural sector, the tourism industry, and water supply for households and industry. Reduced water flow in the river and rising levels in the Adriatic Sea, lead to saltwater intrusion far up the river system with serious ecological consequences.

The Po Valley is historically one of the most productive and important agricultural areas in Italy, even one of the largest at European level, and one of the areas most exposed to climate change, as highlighted in the latest IPCC 2023 report and in the national strategy for adaptation to climate change.

Welcome to this KSLA webinar and listen to Dr. Alessandro Bratti, Po River Administration, as well as the recipient of this year’s Stockholm Water Prize, Professor Andrea Rinaldo, and Antonio Maconi, Goodnet, share their experiences of the impact of climate change for agriculture and other activities in the Po Valley.