The circular economy structured by the government with the PNRR also takes the path of irrigation systems. “The ecological transition cannot do without a cultural growth made up of new awareness of the relationship between water and territory” he said Francesco Vincenzo, President of Anbi, the Association that brings together the Acque Irrigue consortia, presenting the National Week of Reclamation and Irrigation. Just as the demonstrations to enhance the river routes throughout Italy were taking place, the news arrived from the Ministry of Agricultural Policies of 149 executive projects to fix the water transport system. Executive projects that can rely on the 1,6 billion euros already available, while for the definitive projects there is a smaller budget: 89 million. In this case, however, only 10 papers were presented.
The projects are all headed by reclamation consortia and irrigation bodies historically present in the Italian regions. A galaxy that must become an active part not only in the ecological transition but also in the reorganization of services to agricultural enterprises and local authorities. Certainly they are structures to be removed from the prejudice of poorly efficient centres. The Italian system is cumbersome. But punctually at every change of season comes the alarm on soil conservation and the many related risks. For a long time now we have been dragging on low public spending which has neglected, among other things, water governance, which is essential and useful for multiple purposes. It's been a quarter of a century - the Consortiums complain - that people haven't invested as they should in the protection of land. The opportunity now for a transition to new methods of agricultural cultivation and exploitation of natural resources should not be wasted.
According to recent estimates, an organic plan for the review of the national water network requires investments of over 4 billion euros. The PNRR does not reach those figures, but Mission 2 "Investments in the resilience of the irrigation agrosystem for better management of water resources" certainly opens the door to new scenarios. It is a plan suitable for mitigating the emergencies linked to climate change which is changing the face of Italy. And that's not much. Other necessary actions will have to be foreseen for the benefit of agriculture and the territories, thinking of the exploitation of water also for energy purposes. Infrastructures with double, triple value in circular systems, also localized. To draw up the list of projects eligible for funding, it is known that the Ministry of Agricultural Policies has relied on a "dialogue" platform both with the proposing bodies and with the Regions and Provinces. As if to say, everyone knows where to intervene and with what tools.
