Governance, social capital and Payments for Ecosystem Services to improve the quality and quantity of the water resources in the Medio-Brenta
The project aims to improve the governance and test a Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme to increase the chemical and ecological quality of strategic water resources of the Mid-Brenta Aquifer, reducing conflicts of use and increasing farmers’ profitability through the valuation of their water related service provision. The project aims to tackle these problems:
- Lowering of the water table;
- Conflict between the intensive agricultural land use and of its strategic importance at regional level as drinking water source;
- Low economic sustainability to maintain agricultural practices aimed at recharging the aquifer and improving water ecology and hydrology.
A1.1 - Administration and coordination
A1.2 - Meetings with policy makers and technicians
A1.3 - Participatory activities
A1.4 - Participation in Rete Rurale Nazione and the PEI-Agri
A2.1 - Analysis and mapping of drinking water service
A2.2 - Land use mapping and assessment of contamination risk
A2.3 - Updating of documentation and state of the art
A2.4 - Development of the management model
A3.1 - Training course for farmers
A3.2 - Demonstrative activities of animation
A3.3 - Realization of a wetland
A4.1 - Communication plan
A4.2 - Development of the communication package
A4.3 - Opening, updating and closing conferences
A4.4 - Monitoring of communication activities
The project is located in the Mid-Brenta river course and surrounding lands. The site extends over 70 km, within 16 municipalities, two provinces. The river carries out the vital function of green infrastructure, representing a high-value ecosystem for
drinking water provision, recreational activities, a key
ecological corridor for biodiversity. As for the lack of funding and local knowledge, management plans are not active, and as a result, there is a high level of land-use conflict between different uses, among which the agricoltural one is a very important one.
We are also witnessing the lowering of the water table, due to climate change and drinking water abstraction resulting in difficulties in maintaining permanent meadows that are also dependent on the same water resource.
In this context it is also difficult to maintain the sustainable agricultural practices aimed at recharging the aquifer (Forested Infiltration Areas) and improving water ecology and hydrology (phytopurification, stable meadows, organic farming).
The opportunity of this project arises from a recent law that establishes that Environmental and Resource Costs (ERC) should be included in the water pricing system (WFD 2000/60/CE, DL 39/2015): the aim of the project is to update the local existing water tariff to include compensations to farmers and active interventions for the maintaining of water quality and quantity.
One of the expected results of the project is that the Operational Group becomes the consolidated and participated territorial concertation table for the management of water resources in the Middle Brenta area, including institutions in the agricultural, environmental and water sector. A series of meetings, events, participatory, communication and lobby activities contribute to the achievement of the result. Positive relationships and collaborations between the participating institutions have improved and become more frequent. The agricultural world does not suffer the constraints of the safeguard areas but takes part in the conservation of water resources, through the enhancement of multifunctionality. The fragmentation of competences is mitigated by a coordination system and a permanent discussion table.
The Operational Group has defined an innovative system of remuneration to farms for water services and compensation/concertation for the constraints imposed by the new safeguard areas. This system complies with the regulations in force and is approved by the involved public bodies and in particular by Consiglio di Bacino Brenta, ETRA, Veneto Acque and the national autorithy (ARERA).
Therefore, investments and payments for the protection of water resources are included in the Brenta Water Management Plan and the companies of the GO and the MultiAgri network are remunerated for the recharge and phyto-purification activities.
The perception of farms towards the adoption and the economic sustainability of agricultural practices that contribute to the retention and improvement of water resources has improved. In fact, the agricultural area that is managed with practices that contribute to the retention and improvement of water resources (Forest Infiltration Areas, stable meadows, wetlands) increases. The members of the MultiAgri Brenta - Multifunctional Agriculture for the Middle-Brenta network are also increasing.
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Forested Infiltration Areas, a convenient choice
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A park for Brenta river (Un Parco per il fiume Brenta)
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Bosco Limite - Outdoor nature (video)
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Bosco Limite - Outdoor nature (flyer)
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News service about the starting of the project
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Project factsheet from Coldiretti website
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Website of Etifor, project coordinator, where the project is described.
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Website of the initiative Parco Fiume Brenta, that includes the GO Brenta 2030 project.
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Brenta 2030 website
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Sito web
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