Project Description:
River PRO2 is a Citizen Science initiative aimed at strengthening river governance in eastern Sicily’s Simeto River basin. Building on the success of the initial River PRO project, it integrates scientific data with local knowledge to address critical issues such as drought, climate change, and the ecological impacts of hydroelectric infrastructure. The project engages local citizens, farmers, schools, and activists in data collection and analysis, fostering a shared, transparent understanding of water flow, biodiversity, and sediment dynamics. Through collaborative efforts with stakeholders— ranging from regional institutions to energy companies—River PRO2 seeks to rebalance water governance priorities, moving from economic dominance toward ecological sustainability. The initiative also aims to make essential environmental data openly accessible, empowering the community to advocate for long-term policy reforms. By promoting inclusive participation and evidence-based dialogue, River PRO2 lays the groundwork for enduring, equitable, and ecologically responsible water management systems.
Project Type: Sustaining
Theme: Resource Management
Mentor: Jacqueline Goldin
Building Shared Knowledge and Collective Governance for the Simeto River
RIVERPRO2 – Enhancing River Proactive Conservation builds on earlier River Pro initiatives to strengthen community participation and data transparency in the Simeto River Basin. Led by NESTI Impresa Sociale ETS, the project aims to create clearer and more accessible information on water management while fostering collaborative governance among institutions, citizens, and local actors. The Simeto, one of Sicily’s most important rivers, faces growing pressure from drought, climate change, and intensive water use. RIVERPRO2 works to ensure that citizens have the tools and knowledge needed to understand these challenges and advocate for sustainable solutions.
The Simeto Valley faces a complex mix of environmental and governance problems. Decades of hydroelectric operations, extensive agricultural water extraction, and fragmented institutional responsibilities have made water management difficult to coordinate. Although strong national and European policies call for integrated water governance, water-related data in Sicily remains limited, fragmented, and often outdated. Key information, such as dam storage levels or water quality indicators, is frequently released only in non-machine-readable PDF documents. This restricts transparency and hinders practical policy evaluation. RIVERPRO2 addresses these issues by developing updated, community-informed datasets that can support public awareness and evidence-based decision-making.
In the first phase of the project, the team and a group of citizen scientists carried out an extensive desk-based investigation into the hydraulic network of the Simeto Basin. They reviewed and standardised documents from institutional sources, including ARPA Sicilia and the Basin Authority, while monitoring data on dam volumes, river flows, and the operation of major hydroelectric structures such as Pozzillo, Ancipa, and the Ponte Barca weir. The team also mapped the responsibilities of irrigation consortia, regional agencies, environmental authorities, and local municipalities, and designed a detailed hydraulic system schema to clarify how water bodies and infrastructures interact and which actors oversee them.
To complement these efforts, RIVERPRO2 will soon begin a series of interviews with key institutional actors. One of the first will be with a representative of the irrigation consortia, whose insights will help explain how agricultural water is allocated, monitored, and distributed across the Simeto Basin. The team is also preparing collaborative governance working groups that will bring together institutions, citizens, researchers, and environmental practitioners to explore how the emerging datasets can support better long-term decision-making. The aim is to promote shared understanding and encourage co-designed solutions.
Support from the IMPETUS Accelerator has been crucial in strengthening the project. The team benefited from training in data management and citizen science methodologies, along with guidance on designing effective governance processes and improving communication and dissemination strategies. IMPETUS also provided a valuable framework for building partnerships, engaging stakeholders, and evaluating progress. This support has enhanced the project’s capacity to produce actionable knowledge and enable meaningful community participation.
The next phase of RIVERPRO2 will focus on finalising and publishing the first open dataset on the hydraulic system of the Simeto River. All information will be made publicly accessible through a dedicated online data-visualisation platform that presents data in an intuitive and engaging way. The platform will also include calls to action inviting local residents to contribute to future data collection efforts, strengthening the role of citizen science in river governance.
By promoting transparency, participation, and shared responsibility, RIVERPRO2 contributes to a more resilient and sustainable future for the Simeto River and the communities that depend on it.
