Veneto coast and climate change: the Corral project kicks off

Protecting the Veneto coastline, the Lagoon and the Po Delta from rising seas through innovation and technology. The Veneto Region announces the launch of the Corral project (CO-creating Regenerative and Resilient coastline futures), an international initiative included in the Horizon Europe programme.

In the project, the Region is collaborating with the Iuav University of Venice and 28 other European partners: resources amounting to approximately 270,000 euros are available for the regional territory. These funds, allocated by the European Commission, will enable the Environment and Ecological Transition Directorate to implement monitoring systems and natural solutions to combat erosion and the rising salt wedge.

Activities will focus in particular on the Northern Lagoon and the Po Delta area, identified as priority sites for testing coastal resilience models capable of responding to the challenges of climate change.

"The future of our coasts," explains Environment Councillor Elisa Venturini, "requires concrete and immediate answers. With the Corral project, Veneto confirms its leading role in the experimentation of solutions that integrate environmental protection with the safety of the communities living along the coast. We are not just talking about major works, but about a new management model that uses technology to map risks and nature itself to defend the banks and valleys".

The coast 'is a unique but fragile heritage,' Venturini emphasises. 'Thanks to this initiative, we will be able to work side by side with international experts and the Iuav university to protect the Venetian area and the Po Delta from critical phenomena such as erosion and salt intrusion. The objective is to turn these challenges into an opportunity for growth, directly involving citizens and local businesses in land planning. We want Veneto to become an avant-garde model: a coastline that is safe, technologically advanced, and capable of adapting to changes in the climate, guaranteeing continuity for our productive activities and our ecosystem".