The fourth Italian workshop of the BONEX project was held on 19th of February 2025. The workshop was part of a very important event for CBR, i.e. the centenary celebration day of the Saiarino and Vallesanta water drainage plants, the two most important plants of the entire channel network, both located within the Italian demonstration project.
The occasion allowed to involve many important stakeholders on a regional and national scale, including the directors of the main agricultural associations and the mayors of the main municipalities in the study area. Due to these factors, it was decided to link the event with the 4th BONEX project workshop, the aim being to present the main results obtained in the Italian DP.
The event opened with a detailed presentation on the project and its methodologies, with a specific focus on the results obtained. The main focus was on the results of the entire sampling campaign carried out on nature based solutions (NbS) in the Italian DP, considering their large-scale implementation and the effect on irrigation water quality. Moreover, the final results of the analysis and closure of the irrigation water balance in the project area was also discussed.
These sparked a lively discussion among the participants, which showed great interest in the topics.
Concerning the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes, it emerged that the current legislation might be the main obstacle for this practice. Furthermore, all stakeholders were aware of the importance of wastewater treatment plants as a water source for irrigation, especially in those areas where other sources are limited. In this regard, however, the importance of constant, accurate and capillary quality monitoring was emphasised, to be carried out in cooperation between the various managing bodies, allowing a timely response in the event of plant malfunctions.
With reference to the use of NbS adopted in the Italian case study (wetlands and novel mowing technique) and their positive effect on water quality, it was stated that their correct and large-scale implementation must necessarily involve various stakeholders. The discussion focused especially on wetlands, as the identification of suitable locations for the creation of new wetlands presents significant challenges due to bureaucratic obstacles and expropriation problems. To overcome these hurdles, it was concluded that a comprehensive review of spatial planning at a broad level is essential. For example, flood-prone areas should be identified as potential sites for the development of new wetlands, and clear regional guidelines for the regulation of expropriations in the public interest should be defined.
Finally, regarding the closure of the irrigation budget in the Italian study area and the quantification of the various components, stakeholders showed great interest, reiterating the importance of minimising system water losses as much as possible. Application of this method in other irrigation districts and on a larger scale would be desirable, involving the farmers’ association, multiutilities, research institutions, irrigation consortia, regional and local authorities and the general public. A potential solution to overcome the difficulty of monitoring and studying the water distribution network could be involvement of external bodies and farmers themselves.
