Isonzo/Soča river
Crossing between Slovenia and Italy, the Isonzo/Soča river basin faces barriers to the implementation of policy actions resulting from institutional fragmentation. REXUS aims to assist policymakers in defining water management strategies, analysing priorities, pressures, synergies, and trade-offs, especially between energy production, irrigation, and flood risk reduction. REXUS will also propose transboundary water management strategies and tools to assess the effects of climate change, estimating how resources and flod management will be affected and how to integrate Nature based Solutions approaches.
- The Isonzo (in Italian) / Soča (in Slovenian) is a transboundary river. It originates in the Alpine Trenta valley (Slovenia) at an altitude of 935 and flows into the Adriatic Sea, with a delta near Monfalcone (Italy).
- The Isonzo catchment basin extends to a total area of approximately 3400 km. sq. of which about 1150 Km. sq. or about one third, in Italian territory;
- The basin is prone to floods.
- Main pressures on water resources from both countries are agriculture and hydropower with significant concerns over the impact of climate change.
- The basin is prone to floods. The safety of the whole basin depends on the management of large Slovenian dams, but current transboundary flood prevention agreements are insufficient.
- Although several bilateral agreements between Italy and Slovenia (e.g., Osimo agreement, 1975) facilitate cooperation, a shared framework for managing the whole basin with a specific focus on Nexus issues and taking into account climate change, which is threatening the viability of current agreements, is critically missing.
- Main pressures on water resources from both countries are agriculture and hydropower, with significant concerns over the impact of climate change.
- Local authorities (responsible for flood management, civil protection and policy): Friuli Regional Authority, Friuli Region Civil Protection
- ISPRA (Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research
- Water authorities (responsible for flood management, water policies development): AAWA, Friuli Regional Authority
- Environment Agency (Arpa FVG), Environmental authority in Slovenia (ex ARSO), Drainage authorities;
- Energy authorities (responsible for the management of dams)
- Farmers' associations
- Analyse the status of the actual management plan in relation to projected climate changes.
- Find and test best solutions and best practices to guarantee future sustainability.
- Find an equilibrium between different uses of water along the Nexus (flood/food/energy).
Isonzo / Soča pilot News
