Prof. Cirelli began his presentation by examining the hydraulic risk in urban environments, with a particular focus on the cross-border territories of Malta and Sicily. He then outlined the activities of the GIFLUID project, focusing particularly on the actions planned in Work Packages 3 and 4. He highlighted how, over the years, there has been an intensification of the hydrological cycle and how extreme weather events have been recorded, including significant episodes in Catania in 2021 and the Simeto in May 2022. These events underline the urgent need to develop effective and sustainable strategies for water management and the mitigation of associated risks.

Furthermore, Prof. Cirelli introduced the Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) as effective strategies to enhance the water retention capacity of soils and aquatic ecosystems. He illustrated how these measures can provide a range of biophysical benefits and how they can be implemented in combination with other NWRM and anthropic infrastructures, creating a synergistic approach to water resource management.