Adige River Environmental Project Aims to Enhance Ecosystems and Local Economy
Nearly 50 kilometers of river, from the border with Trentino to the Saval bridge in Verona city, studied and documented. The territory encompasses ten municipalities, Brentino Belluno, Dolce, Rivoli, Sant’Ambrogio in Valpolicella, San Pietro in Cariano, Cavaion, Bussolengo, Pastrengo, Pescantina, and partially Verona, investigated from hydrological, geomorphological, vegetational, and also historical-cultural perspectives. This is the Environmental Enhancement Project of the Upper Adige River, planned within the Provincial Land Use Plan, which is currently under review by the provincial administration. “The main goal is to connect all the naturalistic and architectural realities of the territory into a network to enhance the environment and develop economies of scale,” explains architect Anna Braioni, who oversaw its implementation. In recent years, the Adige environment has undergone environmental changes, including negative ones, such as the riverbed raising caused by increased alluvial deposits, which has led to more frequent flooding events. “The project aims to more precisely define the areas for landscape enhancement and ensure river maintenance.”
Objectives and Interventions of the Project
The Adige enhancement plan sets specific goals, such as minimizing hydraulic risk during peak flood periods; improving water quality and riverbanks by reducing pollutant input and boosting the river’s self-purification capacity; highlighting distinctive features such as moraine formations, the floodplain, and steep slopes; developing a scalable economy compatible with local realities and environmental values, thereby promoting high-quality agricultural products and crafts linked to local resources, encouraging cultural and weekend tourism, rural tourism, and widespread hospitality.
“This development initiative is based on a series of pilot projects concerning individual municipalities or several municipalities collaborating together.”
One example involves the possibility of creating a roller skating track, a sport increasingly popular today, along a five-kilometer stretch of disused railway in Dolce. Others focus on improving water quality. For instance, in Brentino, the water from Rio Molini is used for fish farming. “The water that exits and is discharged into the Adige causes biological changes in the river. We plan to create a reservoir and develop a natural lytherapeutic basin so that the water reaches the river clean and can also serve as an incubator for juvenile fish used for stocking the river.”
The existing archaeological area in Brentino could also undergo changes, primarily with improved signage to indicate and describe it. The excavation site could be expanded with a slight excavation beneath the road surface. The Rivoli Customs House, currently abandoned, should also be enhanced due to its significant historical, environmental, and landscape value. The walls of the Chiusa di Ceraino are used as a rock school. Specific interventions are planned along the Tasso Valley, including the installation of pedestrian, cycling, and equestrian routes. The section to be used is the former Verona-Caprino railway line. In the area of the mouth of the Fumane creek, interventions are planned to reduce flood risk during high water, and the same applies to the Negrar creek mouth. Both zones could also be promoted from a tourism perspective, as they are adjacent to ancient mills.