Updates

Facilitation: what it is, what a facilitator does and how a participatory process works

Facilitation guides a group towards a shared goal, leaving the merit of the decisions to the participants. The article explains what a facilitator does, what the levels of participatory processes are and how to design a process that does not remain a formal exercise, with examples from environmental and territorial projects.

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Facilitation is the work of guiding a group of people towards a shared goal, taking care of the process while leaving the merit of the decisions to the participants. In projects involving forests, rivers, protected areas and tourist destinations, it is what turns a simple public meeting into a participatory process capable of producing

River Ecosystem: Biodiversity, Water Resilience and Governance Models for Land Management

  • 2026

The scientific and managerial analysis of a river ecosystem requires a vision that transcends simple hydraulic observation, embracing a biological, geomorphological and socio-economic complexity. A river is an open and dynamic system, responsible for transporting energy, inorganic sediments, nutrients and organic matter from mountain peaks to alluvial plains and, finally, to the oceans. The vitality of this system depends on its ability to maintain fluid connectivity across interconnected spatial and temporal dimensions, guaranteeing fundamental ecosystem services for human survival, from the recharge of underground aquifers to the mitigation of extreme climate events.

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Why protecting a river means investing in clean water, hydraulic safety and sustainable local development

Ecosystem Services and human wellbeing

  • 2025

Every day, we benefit from the services that nature provides: clean water, breathable air, fertile soils, landscapes that improve our well-being. But what happens when these services are degraded or disappear? Understanding how ecosystem services work is crucial for those involved in land management and seeking to protect natural capital effectively and sustainably. In this article, we explore the meaning of ecosystem services, their main categories, the benefits they provide, and the tools available to enhance their value, including from an economic perspective.

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Definition, characteristics, and benefits

European Water Resilience Strategy: Water is back at the heart of environmental and industrial policies

  • 06/25

Climate change is making Europe the fastest-warming continent on Earth. Extreme events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, with serious impacts on health, the economy, and ecosystems. In this context, water—a limited and essential resource—can no longer be taken for granted.

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From nature to finance: the solutions to make Europe more water-resilient

Soil degradation: why it matters and how we can measure its impact

  • 2025

Each time soil loses its fertility, structure, or biodiversity, we also lose the invisible yet essential services that ensure food security, water quality, and climate stability. Soil degradation is a silent but devastating process, often underestimated. Understanding its causes and effects—and especially being able to quantify its impact on ecosystem services—is the first step toward regenerating landscapes and building more resilient territories.

 

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Understanding soil value to safeguard ecosystem services and regenerate landscapes

Strategies to reduce waste in protected areas

  • Strategies to reduce waste in protected areas
  • EU
  • European Union

  • ETRA, Università degli Studi di Trieste, ARPAV, Natura Histrica, Istituto di Agricoltura e Turismo di Parenzo (ITPTO), SUNCE, Regione Istriana, Natura Jadera (partner associato)

The Interreg Italy-Croatia WASTEREDUCE project is an initiative to improve waste management in protected areas and Natura 2000 sites by implementing concrete, joint actions.

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Working together to enhance waste management in protected areas and Natura 2000 sites through coordinated efforts between Italy and Croatia

The European Parliament adopts the Nature Restoration Law

  • 2023

The new law is an ‘important step toward creating and implementing legislative framework to support the ambitious #GlobalBiodiversityFramework to address the current climate and ecological crisis.

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On August 18, 2024, the Nature Restoration Law officially entered into force confirming the intended targets: to restore at least 20 percent of Europe's marine and terrestrial land by 2030 and all endangered habitats by 2050.

Protected areas: what are they, and why are they so important?

  • 2024

According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) definition, a protected area is a “a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”

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Protected areas are divided into different categories, all essential in biodiversity conservation.

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