Report on the Contribution to the Update of the Po RBMP and Other District Plans
Deliverable 11.2 – download
Executive Summary
This report outlines the contribution of the LIFE CLIMAX PO project to the update of the Po River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) and the other district-level planning instruments, namely the Flood Risk Management Plan (FRMP) and the Water Budget Plan. The document is developed within the context of ongoing climate change, which is increasingly affecting hydrological regimes, water availability, and flood and landslide risk across the Po River District.
Recent scientific assessments confirm that climate change is significantly altering the hydrological cycle through rising temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns and an increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events. These processes result in greater hydrological variability, prolonged drought periods and more frequent intense rainfall events, placing growing pressure on both natural systems and existing water management and flood protection infrastructures. As a consequence, planning approaches based on the assumption of climatic stationarity are no longer adequate and must evolve towards adaptive and resilience-oriented frameworks.
The report is framed within the European regulatory context established by the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC), as further strengthened by recent EU climate adaptation policies. While climate change is not explicitly addressed in the Water Framework Directive, its integrated, basin-scale approach allows climate-related pressures to be incorporated into the analysis of pressures and impacts, the definition of environmental objectives and the identification of programmes of measures. The Floods Directive explicitly requires consideration of long-term developments, including climate change, in flood risk assessment and management, promoting a balanced combination of structural and non-structural measures.
Within this framework, District Basin Authorities play a key institutional role in integrating climate adaptation into water resources management and territorial protection. Their mandate at river basin district scale enables the coordination of policies and measures across administrative boundaries, the alignment of European, national, regional and local planning instruments, and the systematic integration of scientific knowledge into decision-making processes.
The experience of the Po River District Authority, developed through the LIFE CLIMAX PO project, is presented as a concrete example of methodological and operational innovation in basin planning. The project supports the transition from static to adaptive planning by integrating high-resolution climate projections, advanced hydrological and hydraulic modelling, integrated water balance assessments and decision-support tools into the planning framework.
The report describes how the results of LIFE CLIMAX PO can contribute both to the 2027 update of district plans and to subsequent planning cycles. Through dedicated working groups and multilevel governance mechanisms, the project ensures continuity between planning cycles and promotes a learning-based and adaptive governance model capable of responding to evolving climatic conditions.
Specific thematic contributions are analysed in detail. In the field of flood risk management, particular attention is given to pluvial flooding in urban areas. The report highlights regulatory and technical experiences from Lombardy Region and the city of Turin, including hydraulic invariance policies, urban drainage modelling, enhanced monitoring networks and the integration of observational and forecast data. Rapid-response modelling tools, such as SAFER-RAIN, are identified as effective instruments for mapping pluvial flood hazard, supporting risk assessment and informing planning and emergency management activities.
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are recognised as key components of flood risk mitigation strategies, especially when implemented within an integrated and network-based planning approach at urban scale. Case studies demonstrate the significant potential of green infrastructure to reduce flood impacts while delivering additional environmental and social co-benefits.
The report also addresses tools for flood risk mapping and communication, with the objective of developing harmonised, replicable workflows capable of integrating different data sources and supporting both technical assessments and stakeholder engagement.
With regard to water status improvement, the document highlights the increasing importance of ecosystem-based approaches and the need to incorporate social and economic returns into the selection and prioritisation of measures under the River Basin Management Plan. Experiences such as the rehabilitation and multifunctional management of irrigation canals illustrate how integrated interventions can simultaneously enhance water efficiency, ecological status, hydraulic safety and the provision of ecosystem services.
Overall, the report concludes that LIFE CLIMAX PO significantly strengthens the capacity of the Po River District Authority to integrate climate change adaptation into basin planning. By making the systematic use of climate information and innovative analytical tools a structural component of planning and governance processes, the project lays the foundations for a more resilient, adaptive and sustainable management of water resources and flood risk in the Po River District, ensuring long-term exploitation, replicability and policy relevance beyond the project’s lifetime.