Renaturation of the Po River
Modelling and design services for river restoration
- Location: Parma, Italy
- Date: 2023
- Client: Interregional Agency for the Po River (AIPo)
- Project Type: River engineering
Redesigning river infrastructure to enhance the riparian environment, safety and quality of life
The Po, Italy’s longest and most important river for water supply, agriculture, hydropower production, and shipping, is today facing significant environmental difficulties such as decreasing flow, occasional flooding, sedimentation, pollution, and habitat damage. To address these issues, the Interregional Agency for the Po River (AIPo) is leading the “Renaturation of the Po Area” effort, which aims to return the Po River course to its native riverbed and ecosystem. In 2023, AIPo commissioned Hydro Nova to support the design and development of renaturation projects.
Our river modelling engineers completed hydraulic modeling and infrastructure design for river restoration projects spanning 500 kilometers of the river course, allowing AIPo to carry out comprehensive environmental restoration activities along the Po River. When finished, the programs are expected to safeguard and restore fluvial ecosystems, regenerate and reactivate oxbow lakes, recover natural floodplain areas, and reforest degraded land.
Services Provided
Model data analytics
Our modeling team reviewed collected data functional to the modelling analysis of the renaturation projects.
Flood prediction analysis
We modeled the entire course of the Po River from Turin to Pontelagoscuro (ca. 500 km) for reflooding analysis, developing a 2D hydraulic model for flood simulation.
River flow deflection analysis
Our team developed 2-D hydraulic models to conduct sediment transport analysis, enabling us to design groynes that will be constructed along the Po River to deflect and modify flowing water away from critical zones.
Design of river renaturation infrastructure
Our river engineers designed for AIPo the interventions that will renature the Po River area.
