Mitigating backward erosion piping in river levees. From research to practice | Results and future perspectives from LIFE SandBoil

The LIFE SandBoil Final Symposium brings together researchers, river-basin authorities and practitioners to reflect on the evidence and lessons generated by the European LIFE project SandBoil. Addressing backward erosion piping and sand boil reactivation, SandBoil has investigated an innovative nature-based mitigation approach through laboratory research, prototype development and demonstration activities along the Po River and in the Danube basin. The Symposium will review the scientific basis of the solution, experimental findings and field experience, while identifying conditions for its transfer to other river systems. A forward-looking discussion will connect these results with emerging tools for levee vulnerability screening and with the practical requirements of public authorities. The aim is to define research, planning and cooperation priorities for safer, more resilient and sustainable levee management.

Program

10.00 Welcome and opening
Purpose of the Symposium and institutional greeting 
Laura Tonni, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna (DICAM)

10.10 Keynote speech - Backward erosion piping in river levees: open challenges
Henk Van Hemert, Rijkswaterstaat

10.40 LIFE SandBoil: from the challenge to the mitigation strategy
Project objectives, rationale and nature-based solution
Laura Tonni, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna (DICAM)

10.50 Experimental research and prototype validation
Insights from laboratory investigations and large-scale tests
LIFE SandBoil research team: Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna (DICAM) and Officine Maccaferri Italia

11.20 From validation to the field implementation: the Po and Danube demonstration sites
Experiences, monitoring and implementation lessons from Po river (Revere - Italy) and Danube river (Marcal - Hungary)
LIFE SandBoil research team: Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna (DICAM), Interregional Agency for the Po River and North-Transdanubian Water Directorate

11.50 Roundtable: Future trends in river levee management
From screening and risk assessment to planning, mitigation and institutional uptake.
Valeria Licata, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research
Lucia Marchetti, Unione della Romagna Faentina – BEAVER4LIFE project
Luca Morreale, Po River Basin District Authority
Gianluca Zanichelli, Interregional Agency for the Po River
Sara Vannoni, Emilia-Romagna Region

12.50 Closing remarks and next steps
Conclusions from LIFE SandBoil and perspectives beyond the project
Maurizio Melis, Journalist and radio presenter

From 13:00 Informal networking lunch

DICAM – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna and the LIFE SandBoil project invite participants to register for the symposium via the following registration link.

This event has received funding from the European Union’s LIFE Programme under Grant Agreement No. LIFE19 ENV/IT/000071, LIFE SandBoil.