{"id":4477,"date":"2019-11-18T15:23:55","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T14:23:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etifor.com\/en\/?p=4477"},"modified":"2026-01-05T11:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T10:16:51","slug":"life-brenta-2030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etifor.com\/en\/portfolio\/life-brenta-2030\/","title":{"rendered":"The Medio Brenta area and its challenges<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Medio Brenta area, which extends along the course of the river Brenta between Vicenza and Padua, is recognised at a European level and included in the Natura 2000 network for its environmental and cultural importance. The area is also strategic for providing various ecosystem services, including drinking water: it is the most <\/span>crucial source of water supply<\/b> in the Veneto region.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Middle Brenta requires <\/span>complex management<\/b> due to the number and variety of entities involved. The area also<\/span> faces water conservation and biodiversity risks<\/b> due to high water withdrawals, anthropisation, intensive agricultural land use, high recreational use and the effect of climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem<\/h2>\n

LIFE Brenta 2030, a project funded by the LIFE – Nature and Biodiversity Programme of the European Union<\/a>, will address the following set of problems affecting the fluvial area of the Middle-Brenta:<\/p>\n<\/div>

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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Lack of good governance and usage conflicts:<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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The absence of a local managing body that can see to the management of natural capital, together with the reduction in public spending for the establishment of new Parks in the regional territory, worsened the already degraded conditions of the fluvial area.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Water abstraction and consequent lowering of the groundwater table<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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The regional water management body defined the Middle-Brenta area as a strategic source for drinkable water provision: this area supplies 30% of the drinkable water needed by the whole region. In the context of the project “Derivazione dalle falde del Medio Brenta\u201d (meaning “Water abstraction from Middle-Brenta groundwater tables”) 7 new wells for drinkable water abstraction were set up, but the groundwater-recharge and mitigation measures adopted were not sufficient to reassure local bodies.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Elevated anthropization and recreational use of habitats and water resources' protection areas<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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The area is characterized by a high population density (about 509\/inhabitants\/km2). The lack of regulation and awareness caused the recreational use of floodplains and basins to be of disturbance for several animal species and led to the damage of habitats due to waste dumping and damage due to trampling.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Ecological fragmentation and habitat reduction caused by agricultural and mining activities<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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The area of the Brenta River is characterized by a strong agricultural vocation: about 43% of the land is cultivated and the crisis of the sector favours the spread of unsustainable management practices.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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The results of our commitment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Governance: a shared vision for the future of the Middle Brenta area\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Through the involvement of the 15 local municipalities, the LIFE Brenta 2030 project developed a model of good governance for the Medio Brenta, focusing on three fundamental elements of the area: water, biodiversity and recreational aspects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Working on the three components of governance according to our GRAN approach, we achieved the following results:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n