Open-air laboratory in Genoa: knowing the risks
and evaluating solutions together in a changing climate

Location

Main location: Genoa, Museo di Storia Naturale “G. Doria” (Natural History Museum)

Other locations will be added once defined by local stakeholders.

Sensors will also be used by means which are made available by the stakeholders involved, as  for example boats, bikes and cars or backpacks of hikers. 

Environmental areas addressed

Climate Change, Extreme Events, Natural Risks (flash floods, landslide, wind, sea storm, heat&cold waves), Pollution, Sustainable Transport, Water cycle.

About

The Genoa living lab is an open-air laboratory for citizens and stakeholders to strengthen the awareness on climate change and related environmental risks (e.g. flash floods, marine storms, landslides, wind). They are involved in:

  • collecting environmental data with fixed and mobile sensors;
  • viewing and discussing the data collected in the apps;
  • organising training courses and information events;
  • constructing participatory paths for a more informed governance and more coherent procedures.

The living lab is set up by CIMA, ARPAL and the Municipality of Genoa. Activities started in 2022. The activities will at least run until 2025. 

Experiments

We are doing some experiments on the usability of mini weather stations on boats, together with the Tigullio Maritime Consortium: the first station has been placed on the “Stress” boat, which is giving good results in terms of connection and usability.
We will shortly begin experimenting with mini-weather stations on a group of bikers, to understand the station’s altitude limits.

How to participate

The current stakeholders were identified by CIMA, ARPAL and the Municipality of Genoa, covering civil society, academia, industry and public authority. The participants for the experiments are then selected in a second step.

Other interested people can be indirectly involved in the activities: for example meetings and trainings are open to everyone. Pkease contact the Fondazione CIMA.

Background

The Liguria Region is an area often subject to disasters, such as floods and landslides.

It is essential to involve the citizens, stakeholders and institutional bodies to prevent and mitigate the social, economic and environmental damages caused by hazards.
The activities chosen for this living lab will help collect data to improve the prediction of these events.

Stakeholders directly operating in the area will be able to be bearers of good practices for the protection of the territory and citizens will be more informed on the procedures to be followed in the event of a disaster. Public institutions will also become more aware of how to act and communicate during events.

Bridging the Gap with Citizen Science: Predicting Extreme Weather Events in Genoa

The short documentary, “Genoa Living Lab: Predicting Extreme Weather with Citizen Data”, showcases the transformative power of the partnership between scientists and citizens, by capturing local inspiring stories.

Participation in 18th Plinius Conferecnce

This conference was an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas on the impact of low-cost sensors and citizen science in mitigating climate change impacts, share I-CHANGE project results, and connect with researchers studying climate risks in the Mediterranean region.

Hard Science and Festivals to dialogue on the Future of the Environment

CIMA Research Foundation had participated in the GAMBERI Festival, an event that intertwines art and science to address crucial issues such as climate change and water resource management.

I-CHANGE citizen science activities at the “Across the Sea 2024”

CIMA Research Foundation participated in the closing event by being part of a scientific table and bringing our knowledge on snow and the availability of water resources.

Thanks to Chiavari

It is now concluded the citizen science initiative that researchers from CNR-IRPI, CNR-IGAG, and CNR-IMATI organized with the students of the “Marconi Delpino” Scientific High School in Chiavari, under the umbrella of the I-CHANGE Genoa Living Lab.

The I-CHANGE GDSO Success Story in the Genoa Living Lab

The I-CHANGE activity related to the use of MeteoTrackers in the Genoa Living Lab has recently been highlighted as one of the success stories of projects funded by the Horizon 2020 Green Deal Call.

I-CHANGE at the EGU General Assembly 2024

The Genoa Living Lab presented the research “Citizen Science in Meteorology: Enhancing weather understanding through innovative instrumentation and community engagement”.

Climate change affects our daily lives and various business activities

This is a message now consolidated in our knowledge. Thanks to the involvement of different stakeholder groups in the I-CHANGE project, the Living Lab of Genoa has extended its network to different targets.

Educational Initiatives: the Genoa Living Lab is empowering Climate Change Awareness

Thanks to our expertise and the experience gained in dissemination activities within European projects, we continue to participate in events and festivals to talk about the I-CHANGE project, its progress and the results achieved.

Successful story of the Genoa Living Lab

I-CHANGE and its partners address the climate and environmental challenges from two different perspectives through a participatory approach and involving deeply citizens and stakeholders.

Meteotracker on MTB Turchino Outdoor

Contact

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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101037193.