Situated in Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy) the Reno River flows from the Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic Sea. Its basin is highly anthropized and presents a diverse landscape, transitioning from mountainous terrains to a humid subtropical plain.
The climate varies accordingly to the geomorphological conditions, with cooler mountain regions experiencing seasonal snow accumulation, relevant for the hydrological cycle, and warmer, humid subtropical conditions in the plains. Notably, winter snow cover has declined in recent years, impacting water availability, together with the overall decline of summer precipitations due to climate change.
Agriculture dominates the basin, covering approximately 55% of the land, primarily concentrated in the low-lying plain, while the mountain part is characterized by a complex system of artificial basins and dams for hydropower use. Around 60% of the agricultural land is irrigated, supporting crops such as maize, onions, potatoes and vineyards. The most significant change over the past 30 years concerns a notable decrease in orchards and an increase in vineyard cultivation.
Irrigation constitutes the largest water use sector, accounting for 80% of total consumption, with a strong reliance on surface water. Industrial and domestic water uses, which rely more heavily on groundwater, make up the remaining 20%.
Scroll through the slides to read about the Reno local workshops and serious game.
Workshop 1 – Vulnerability Assessment and Gap Identification
Bologna (Italy), July 24th, 2023 The first local workshop focused on identifying systemic vulnerabilities and technical gaps within the Reno River basin. Stakeholders identified three main critical issues:
1. Lack of time, manpower, and technical abilities for the stakeholders that use the modeling results 2. Lack of sufficiently precisedata to obtain an accurate water balance 3. Need for closer collaboration and data sharing among all stakeholders
On the technical side, stakeholders highlighted the following priorities: Modelling: need for socio-economic modeling, better calibration with the highly artificial basin, better quality and accessibility of results Monitoring: lack of tools to measure scarcity, and water quality, need for better water use data (withdrawals and return flows)
Workshop 2 – Scenario Exploration and TAPs Identification
Bologna (Italy), November 7th, 2024 The second workshop focused on the presentation of the modeling suite under development after the first workshop. The second part of the day was dedicated to the exploration of the vulnerabilities through a serious game. Participants agreed on the following main vulnerabilities:
1. Lack of flexible management of water resources in real time and of a common, clear, and flexible to change political strategy 2. Prolonged drought episodes and climatic water scarcity in Summer
Stakeholders proposed some TAPs that, after a revision during the 1st international workshop in Venice, include: 1. shift to less water demanding crops; 2. renewal of allocation rules and management plan; 3. introduction of voluntary economic instruments (water banks); 4. introduction of payment for ecosystem services (PES)
Bologna (Italy), November 20th, 2025 The third workshop aimed at exploring the TAPs previously identified through a serious game with future climate, economic, and hydrological scenarios. After the game, focused on three agronomic strategies, stakeholders proposed some changes and reframing of the policies previously collected. At the end of the workshop, the main ideas revolved around:
1. Implementing a river contract to reach an agreement in the use of water during drought events 2. Shift to more suitable crops 3. Introduction of PES, possibly linked to the previous two taps.
The fourth and last local workshop is foreseen for Autumn 2026. The goal of the event will be: presenting the detailed results of the modeling suite co-developed within the project; validating the TAPs co-identified with the stakeholders through a serious game; and planning for the co-implementation of the selected TAPs.
Reno Serious game
TRANSCEND serious games are model based, meaning that they rely on quantitative hydrological, climate, and economic models rather than hypothetical narratives. In the Reno serious game players choose between alternative water-management strategies under multiple climate trajectories. Indicators include water availability, economic performance, and groundwater levels. The objective is to balance profitability with sustainable groundwater use over time. Access Reno Serious Game interactive platform.
