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EUWMA midterm meeting in Milan, Italy

On July 22-23, on behalf of the Italian Presidency of the EUWMA (European Union of Water Management Associations), ANBI Lombardy Region hosted the intermediate technical meeting and field visit to illustrate the theme of the 2024 Presidency: “Water in a highly anthropized environment: more regulation or return to nature?”

It is always a real pleasure to “live” with the top representatives of water management organisations from different countries. Sharing national idiosyncrasies, as well as the most relevant incidents and challenges of the way water flows, always helps to thinks of new solutions to possible common problems in the European watersystem.

Why in Lombardy?

Lombardy is ‘a region of water’ thanks to its large lakes, numerous rivers, the dense and intertwined network of canals, fountains and springs. The abundance of water resources has allowed over the centuries the construction of a harmonious landscape centred on agricultural production, supported by complex and innovative irrigation systems. Today in Lombardy there are 12 Agricultural Water Boards in charge of supplying water for irrigation and managing water networks and reclamation systems.

We were able to carry out 2 field visits:

  • Panperduto receives water from the Miorina dam and distributes it over 47,600 hectares through 3,000 km of canals. The historical installation is made up of numerous artefacts: an overflow weir with a hydrodynamic profile, an intake building connected to the weir, a navigation basin, a derived water storage basin, a spillway, the Villoresi canal intake buildings.
  • The San Massimo Reserve, a natural area of over 800 hectares, is the rarest environmental context of the Ticino Lombard Valley Park. Agricultural areas, moors, an uncontaminated forest full of springs and fountains, paths with native fruit trees alternate spontaneously, giving life to a unique variety of landscapes, a cradle of biodiversity.

I must highlight the level of knowledge of the participants at the event, as well as the good understanding among them. It was my first participation from the National Federation of Irrigation Communities of Spain (FENACORE), and I would like to express my deepest thanks to all those who made this comprehensive meeting possible. The cooperative atmosphere and the interesting talks on the uses of water in the different countries, as well as the specific circumstances at this time within the water course were very enriching.