CLIMate Adaptation for the PO river basin district

2026-07-22

Climate change is leading to great environmental challenges, which require compelling and urgent actions, especially in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean area. The Italian National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) recognises the Po River Basin District as the national special case and pilot area for climate adaptation in the water management sector. CLIMA PO overall objective is to boost adaptation to climate change through climate-smart water resources management at the river basin district scale by implementing NAS measures tailored-made on the local characteristics and climatic peculiarities present in the district. This will be done by improving district governance in water resource management and ensuring policy, funding and technical coordination and coherence; shared climate knowledge production (tools and methodologies); building capacity and awareness, increasing stakeholder participation; improving water security and climate resilience through selected pilot actions replicable in the river basin and beyond; mobilizing complementary funding that will support the implementation of extended and costly measures focused on renaturation, flood risk mitigation and prevention, integration of planning tools, and activating public engagement. CLIMA PO will launch a Multilevel Governance Deal with dedicated task forces to foster a coordinated planning approach at National, Regional and Local level starting from the existing River Basin Management Plan and leading to the mobilization and coordination of several sources of funding (420+ mil€ out of which 350+ mil€ already granted). CLIMA PO is led by the National Po River Basin District Authority (ADBPO) chaired directly by the Minister for Ecologic Transition and responsible for the implementation of the NAS at district level. The consortium covers the whole geographical river basin, all levels of Governance (National, Regional, Local) and necessary competences with 3 major research institutes on board.

Italy

2026-03-01