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Drawing upon an extensive body of valuation literature focused on water quality, this paper performs a meta-analysis benefit transfer exercise aimed at quantifying willingness to pay (WTP) for an enhancement in drinking water quality for households that have been directly exposed to Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) over recent decades in Italy. The analysis compiles metadata of 72 WTP estimates extracted from 40 previous valuation studies conducted in advanced economies. The benefit transfer is realized estimating a meta regression model (MRM) which includes both study design and socio-economic explanatory variables, according to the Weak Structural Utility Theoretic approach. To determine the most suitable MRM specification, a comparative evaluation of various model configurations is developed exploiting the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) selection criterion, and assessing their predictive performances in terms of transfer error and explanatory power. The mean transfer error (MTE) and the adjusted R-squared of the preferred MRM are in line with past published meta-analyses (0.665 and 0.607, respectively). The parameters estimated in the model align with both economic theory and intuition. The benefit transfer process results in an estimated annual WTP of € 250.80 per household for improved drinking water quality in the PFAS-affected area and an aggregated value of social benefits from PFAS decontamination of around € 12 million. • First meta-analysis focused on drinking water quality valuation in developed economies. • WTP for PFAS decontamination of drinking water via benefit transfer. • LASSO selection criteria applied for the selection of variables in the meta-regression model. • New dataset for drinking water quality valuation around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the link between organic and local food products purchasing as pro-environmental behaviours, and "other-regarding preferences", such as altruism, intrinsic motivation and self-image, which is measured through individuals' environmental concerns, volunteering, participation in ecological associations and pro-social behaviours. Using the Italian data from the Multipurpose survey on households "Aspects of daily life" conducted in 2019, and bivariate probit models, this paper shows that environmental egoistic and altruistic concerns, volunteering in formal organizations and participation in ecological associations are positively correlated with the purchase of more organic and local food products. Higher pro-social behaviours correlate positively with the purchase of more local products and negatively with the purchase of more organic products. Furthermore, higher education and better household economic conditions are strongly correlated with the purchase of more organic products, while participation in cultural activities is positively associated with the purchase of more organic and local food products. • We study the role of other-regarding preferences in the purchase of organic and local food products in Italy. • We use a bivariate probit model on a representative sample of Italian households. • Altruistic and intrinsic motivations matter in purchasing organic and local food products. • Self-image influences positively local food purchasing and negatively organic food consumption. • Budget constraints matter more for organic food consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel four-step methodology to achieve an extended-reality-based choice experiment in historic and touristic centers. The study exploits the case of Manfredonia (a seaside town in southern Italy) to apply the new approach and investigates public attitudes and preferences towards the installation of offshore wind turbines in the area. The novelty of the proposed work is twofold: i) for the first time, a structured methodological approach is defined for the development of a hybrid extended-reality-based choice experiment; ii) the perception of the visual impact of offshore wind turbines is assessed in a touristic and historic city in southern Italy exploiting the proposed approach. Our findings underscore the importance of continuously monitoring public perceptions to maintain and promote support for sustainable energy solutions, particularly in relation to the perception of wind energy's visual impact. In particular, 65% of respondents express their worries about wind power plants impact on the landscape. Moreover, the positive coefficient of the visual impact (0.011) suggests a positive utility of respondents from a higher off-shore turbines' density and a marginal willingness to accept a compensation of about 13€ for the visual impact and of about 33€ for the distance from the shore. In this context the use of extended reality technology in choice experiment scenarios significantly improves the results and enhances the understanding of the landscape impact of offshore wind farms. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal areas frequently face critical conditions due to the lack of adequate forms of land use planning, environmental management and inappropriate coastal risk management, sometimes leading to unexpected and undesired environmental effects. Risk management also involves cultural aspects, including perception. However, the acknowledgement of risk perception by stakeholders and local communities, as one of the social pillars of risk analysis, is often lacking. Starting from an overview of the risk concept and the related approaches to be addressed, the paper investigates the evolution of coastal risk management with a focus on the Italian case study. Despite the design and adoption of national policies to deal with coastal risks, coastal management still shows in Italy a fragmented and poorly coordinated approach, together with a general lack of attention to stakeholder involvement. Recent efforts in the design of plans aiming at reducing risks derived from climate change and mitigating their impacts (National Strategy on Climate Change Adaptation; National Climate Change Adaptation Plan; National Recovery and Resilience Plan activities) should be effective in updating knowledge about climate change risks and in supporting national adaptation policies. • Traditional coastal risk defense measures often lead to ineffective results. • Novel risk approaches are needed to manage the complexity of coastal issues. • Risk perception is a fundamental component in coastal risk management. • In Italy coastal management is fragmented and poor-coordinated. • It is important to involve stakeholder and society at large in management processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transhumance routes mark the natural path followed by herds during their seasonal movements. These routes are disappearing in many European countries. In Italy, a few fragments survive in Molise, in southern Italy, called Tratturi and run along grassy paths. The Tratturi are considered to be of archaeological, economic and landscape interest, sources of cultural and environmental attraction, protected by a national law. However, the landscapes connected to the Tratturi are disappearing both as a consequence of non-use and as a consequence of the advancement of wooded areas, and this poses a problem related to the governance system that involves many stakeholders, both at international, national and local level. The study, through the use of the combined approach of Stakeholder Basic Analysis and Social Network Analysis, identifies the role of the stakeholders involved, their power, their interest and their ability to support the decision-making system. Furthermore, the paper uses multivariate statistical analysis to detect the key stakeholders. A new model of governance, allowing to preserve the Tratturi and to enhance the services they can provide, is introduced, and it is named Authority for the Conservation and Enhancement of Tratturi (ACET). This study can help to identify appropriate management models for ancient routes based on all stakeholders involved, and more generally to implement shared and co-responsible planning choices in socio-ecological systems. [Display omitted] • Tratturi are disappearing due to anthropic use and/or renaturation. • Stakeholders involvement is needed for the conservation of socio-ecological systems. • Main stakeholders are identified through Stakeholder and Social Network Analysis. • A new governance model for the management of Tratturi is identified. • The proposed system strengthens the role of Tratturi in regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had a big impact in Italy, mainly concentrated in the northern part of the Country. All this was mainly due to similarities of this area with Wuhan in Hubei Province, according to geographical, environmental and socio-economic points of view. The basic hypothesis of this research was that the presence of atmospheric pollutants can generate stress on health conditions of the population and determine pre-conditions for the development of diseases of the respiratory system and complications related to them. In most cases the attention on environmental aspects is mainly concentrated on pollution, neglecting issues such as land management which, in some way, can contribute to reducing the impact of pollution. The reduction of land take and the decrease in the loss of ecosystem services can represent an important aspect in improving environmental quality. In order to integrate policies for environmental change and human health, the main factors analyzed in this paper can be summarized in environmental, climatic and land management. The main aim of this paper was to produce three different hazard scenarios respectively related to environmental, climatic and land management-related factors. A Spatial Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method has been applied over thirteen informative layers grouped in aggregation classes of environmental, climatic and land management. The results of the health hazard maps show a disparity in the distribution of territorial responses to the pandemic in Italy. The environmental components play an extremely relevant role in the definition of the red zones of hazard, with a consequent urgent need to renew sustainable development strategies. The comparison of hazard maps related to different scenarios provides decision makers with tools to orient policy choices with a different degree of priority according to a place-based approach. In particular, the geospatial representation of risks could be a tool for legitimizing the measures chosen by decision-makers, proposing a renewed approach that highlights and takes account of the differences between the spatial contexts to be considered - Regions, Provinces, Municipalities - also in terms of climatic and environmental variables. • COVID-19 had a big impact in Italy, mainly in the northern part of the Country. • Reduction of land take and ecosystem services' loss improve environmental quality. • Environmental, climatic and land management can be leveraged for pandemic policies. • Geospatial representation of risks is a useful approach to support decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to empirically test the dynamics of budget outcomes of Italian municipalities in the aftermath of floods by accounting for heterogeneous levels of resilience and vulnerability to natural disasters. Our findings are based on a dynamic difference-in-differences model after propensity score matching. They point to substantial impacts in terms of increased capital expenditure and revenues from transfers, which depend on the degree of resilience and vulnerability. Through our analysis, we account for multiple aspects of risk to support policy decisions related to both ex-ante and ex-post disaster occurrence management. • Dynamics of budget outcomes of Italian municipalities in the aftermath of floods. • Italian municipalities react to floods by increasing capital investments. • Results greatly depend on the degree of resilience and vulnerability of municipalities. • More resilient and less vulnerable municipalities better use available resources. • Less resilient and more vulnerable municipalities highly depend on transfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasions are one of the major drivers of global environmental change and there is a need to develop integrated strategies to counteract this phenomenon. Eradication is an effective management option to mitigate the deleterious impacts of invasive alien species (IAS). Eradication can be achieved if all reproductive individuals are removed and population recovery is prevented. However, individuals may survive removal operations in private areas if interventions are not allowed. Here, we present 1) three case studies in which restricted private property access prevented the local eradication of invasive alien populations, and 2) a list of reasons for denying access to private properties and a list of actions implemented or suggested by managers to facilitate access and reported in 29 reviewed papers. The restricted access affected the local eradication of three Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) populations in Italy. In Lombardy region, in one area a planned eradication did not start and in another area the implemented eradication failed due to the refusal from the owner of a large private property to grant access to managers. In Umbria region, the lack of collaboration from an Italian financial institution produced a delay of 15 months in the removal. In our case studies, therefore, a single person or institution denied access for a personal gain or presumed internal security. The reasons behind landowner opposition may be diverse and individual attitudes towards IAS management will depend on interactions with owners. According to our review, in many cases the denial of access takes place in a general perception of mistrust or opposition to the project as the results of a limited engagement of local people. Such opposition often jeopardizes control activities, with profound negative consequences on eradication, expecially at landscape scale. Bottom-up approaches aiming at involving stakeholders can increase the possibility to achieve IAS eradication, however appropriate legislation remains pivotal to enforce eradication in case of non-cooperative behaviour. [Display omitted] • Eradication is effective to mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species. • Private owners could deny access to their land challenging eradications. • Eradication failures were reported in 25 papers and three case studies. • Landowners may be involved with bottom-up approaches. • Appropriate legislation is pivotal in the case of non-cooperative behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a well-established eco-hydrological model that has been extensively applied to watersheds across the globe. This work reviews over two decades (2002–2022) of SWAT studies conducted on Mediterranean watersheds. A total of 260 articles have been identified since the earliest documented use of the model in a Mediterranean catchment back in 2002; of which 62% were carried out in Greece, Italy, or Spain. SWAT applications increased significantly in recent years since 86% of the reviewed papers were published in the past decade. A major objective for most of the reviewed works was to check the applicability of SWAT to specific watersheds. A great number of publications included procedures of calibration and validation and reported performance results. SWAT applications in the Mediterranean region mainly cover water resources quantity and quality assessment and hydrologic and environmental impacts evaluation of land use and climate changes. Nevertheless, a tendency towards a multi-purpose use of SWAT is revealed. The numerous examples of SWAT combined with other tools and techniques outline the model's flexibility. Several studies performed constructive comparisons between Mediterranean watersheds' responses or compared SWAT to other models or methods. The effects of inputs on SWAT outputs and innovative model modifications and improvements were also the focus of some of the surveyed articles. However, a significant number of studies reported difficulties regarding data availability, as these are either scarce, have poor resolution or are not freely available. Therefore, it is highly recommended to identify and develop accurate model inputs and testing data to optimize the SWAT performance. [Display omitted] • SWAT review on Mediterranean hydro-climatic studies. • Lack of SWAT assessment on Mediterranean catchments. • A comparison of data from different Mediterranean basins. • Enhancing data availability for SWAT applications. • Developing a comprehensive knowledge of Mediterranean watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiatives of artisanal fisheries co-management and the construction of differentiated markets for seafood products have been emerging in different parts of the world, as an institutionalized way of coping with a global fishery crisis. This paper analyses some institutionalization processes of artisanal mollusc fisheries, considering the role of co-management in two Brazilian and Italian protected areas (Resex Pirajubaé and Conero Regional Park). Within a theoretical framework aiming at moving beyond the dualism between nature and society, the methodology of multiple-case-study has been used to carry on research about mollusc artisanal fisheries co-management networks in their constitution and development. The paper analyses how these networks are organised in the two contexts and the relations social actors have been developing for a sustainable fishery as a possible way to influence and increase their capacity to address environmental crisis. In the artisanal mollusc fishery co-management experiences, fishers' participation may favour institutional innovations and the co-management networks stability may be generated by the institutions legitimacy. Furthermore, the case studies offer complementary insights to better understand the linkage between artisanal fishery institutionalization processes, common natural resources co-management and value aggregation for traditional seafood. Artisanal mollusc fishery co-management experiences should be stimulated and investigated since they can help in diagnosing early climate and environmental changes in the oceans. • Artisanal mollusc fishery co-management helps to diagnose early oceans changes. • Fishers' participation favours institutional innovations in co-management. • Co-management networks stability is closely related to the institutions legitimacy. • Co-management can integrate environmental regulation and seafood value aggregation. • Sustainable co-management offers opportunities to address environmental crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience gained over the last hundred years clearly indicates that two groups of viruses represent the main risk for the development of highly transmissible epidemics and pandemics in the human species: influenza viruses and coronaviruses (CoV). Although the search for viruses with pandemic potential in the environment may have an important predictive and monitoring role, it is still based on empirical methodologies, mostly resulting from the clinic and not fully validated for environmental matrices. As far as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, currently underway, is concerned, environmental monitoring activities aiming at checking the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater can be extremely useful to predict and check the diffusion of the disease. For this reason, the present study aims at evaluating the SARS-CoV-2 diffusion by means of a wastewater-based environmental monitoring developed in Piedmont, N–W Italy, during the second and third pandemic waves. Wastewater sampling strategies, sampling points sample pre-treatments and analytical methods, data processing and standardization, have been developed and discussed to give representative and reliable results. The following outcomes has been highlighted by the present study: i) a strong correlation between SARS-CoV-2 concentration in untreated wastewater and epidemic evolution in the considered areas can be observed as well as a predictive potential that could provide decision-makers with indications to implement effective policies, to mitigate the effects of the ongoing pandemic and to prepare response plans for future pandemics that could certainly arise in the decades to come; ii) moreover, the data at disposal from our monitoring campaign (almost 500 samples analysed in 11 months) confirm that SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in wastewater are strongly variable and site-specific across the region: the highest SARS-CoV-2 concentration values have been found in sewer networks serving the most populated areas of the region; iii) normalization of viral concentrations in wastewater through Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (a specific faecal marker) has been carried out and commented; iv) the study highlights the potential of wastewater treatment plants to degrade the genetic material referable to SARS-CoV-2 as well. In conclusion, the preliminary data reported in the present paper, although they need to be complemented by further studies considering also other geographical regions, are very promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vicious cycle exists between agricultural production and climate change, where agriculture is both a driver and a victim of the changing climate. While new and ambitious environmental and climate change-oriented goals are being introduced in Europe, the monitoring of these objectives is often jeopardized by a lack of technological means and a reliance on heavy administrative procedures. In particular, remote sensing technologies have the potential to significantly improve the monitoring of such goals but the characteristics of such missions should take into consideration the needs of users to guarantee return on investments and effective policy implementation. This study aims at identifying gaps in the current offer of Copernicus products for the monitoring of the agricultural sector through the elicitation of stakeholder requirements. The methodology is applied to the case study of Italy while the approach is scalable at European level. The elicitation process associates user needs to the European and national legislative framework to create a policy-oriented demand of Copernicus Earth Observation services. Results show the limitations faced by environmental managers in relation to the use of Remote Sensing technologies and the shortcomings associated with a purely technology driven approach to the development of satellite missions. Through the introduction of this flexible and user centred approach instead, this paper provides a clear overview of agro-environmental user requirements and represents the basis for the definition of an integrated agricultural service. •Eliciting user requirements provides guidance for the improvement of the offer of European Earth Observation products. •The methodology used improves the institutional market pull for the development of the EO upstream offer •Aligning technological development to operational needs can enhance agro-environmental and climate goals. •Investing in synergies between missions can improve the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy post 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As recognized by the Paris Climate Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), local and subnational regions are crucial actors to achieve international mitigation and adaptation commitments. Scientific literature and empirical evidence point at multi-level climate governance as a crucial factor to engage subnational levels in the achievement of national and international objectives. This work focuses on the multi-level climate governance arrangements in Italy to investigate how Italian regions/provinces/cities are contributing to the achievement of national commitments. To this purpose, the paper undertakes a review of the climate policies of different tiers of government adopted to date and of the interrelationships among them. The results of the analysis show that the effective coordination between the different government levels should be strengthened to further incentivize and support initiatives at the local level. Results also show the relevant role played by international regional and city climate networks in boosting local and regional climate planning in Italy. • Climate plans of 21 Italian regions, 32 provinces, and 32 cities were assessed. • 57% of the Italian regions; 13% of provinces and 78% of cities set a carbon target. • 10% of regions, no province, and 2% of municipalities have an adaptation plan. • Cities are more active than provinces and regions in defining mitigation policies. • Active multilevel governance is effective for implementing climate plans in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]