Summary of the Far River Regeneration Project

Presenter Information

  • Name: Mara Frankie
  • Age: 31
  • Profession: Building engineer
  • Company: VTI (since 2019)
  • Current Role: Partner, Infrastructure and Energy Department

Project Overview

  • Project Name: Far River Regeneration Project
  • Agency: Arco, regional agency for the Far River
  • Context: Part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) by the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security.
  • Goal: Reduce Po River's artificiality by at least 37 kilometers before 2026.

Po River Facts

  • Length: 657 kilometers (longest river in Italy)
  • Geographic Area: Flows through Po Valley, one of Europe's largest plains
  • Historical Changes: Constructed wells from 1919 to 1970 have reduced riverbed, turned it into a single navigable channel, resulting in ecological impact and increased hydrological risks.

Project Phases

  • Scope: Covers 56 areas, 4 regions, and 106 municipalities
  • Phased Approach:
    • Phase 1: Morphological rebalancing and navigation wire modifications to enhance overflow and create new channels.
    • Phase 2: Renaturation and ecological restoration.

Hydraulic Model

  • Model Type: 2D hydraulic model developed with ACRAS
  • Length: 419 kilometers, and includes a 1D schematic of the Po Delta.
  • Purpose: Assess impact of navigation wave lowering and ensure hydraulic safety.
  • Outcome: Increased frequency of wear overtopping in Mithelpo area from 8 to 100 days per year.

Interventions

  • Types of Interventions:
    • Naturalistic reforestation
    • Floodplain renaturation
    • Restoring abandoned branches
    • Invasive species control
  • Target Species: Interventions tailored to local animal species.
  • Progress:
    • Lowered 14 navigation wares; 5 completed.
    • Designed 20 kilometers of new channels.
    • Planned reforestation of 1,800 hectares with over 2,000,000 native plants.

Conclusion

  • The journey has been challenging yet rewarding.
  • Goal: Inspire similar initiatives nationwide.
  • Belief: Merging engineering with sustainability is critical for future environmental challenges.