EU Horizon · SD-WISHEES Project

Protecting Cultural & Environmental Heritage

A two-day hybrid gathering in Taormina, building resilience at the Water–Climate–Cultural Heritage nexus in the face of hydroclimatic extremes.

Event Details

1–3 October 2026 Taormina, Italy Hybrid Event

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Ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina with Mount Etna in the background — The Ancient Theatre of Taormina, overlooking the town and Mount Etna — the setting for this year’s SD-WISHEES gathering.

Overview

As extreme hydroclimatic events grow more frequent and severe, protecting our cultural and environmental heritage demands strategic, cross-sector, and inclusive collaboration.

This dual-event initiative, organised under the EU Horizon SD-WISHEES project, brings together researchers, innovators, funding members, and local communities from across Europe, the Balkans, and Africa to build a resilient future at the intersection of the Water–Climate–Cultural Heritage (WCCH) Nexus.

Join us for two days in Taormina — in person against the backdrop of the Ancient Greek Theatre and Mount Etna, or remotely from anywhere in the world.

The programme

Day 1 · Local workshop

Monitoring & forecasting for climate resilience

1 October 2026 · 09:00–16:00 CEST Palazzo dei Congressi, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 7, Taormina · Hybrid Italian, with on-site EN translation

09:00–09:30
Registration and welcome
09:30–10:00
Greetings & opening remarks Stefano Mariani, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research – ISPRA (IT), WP5 Leader
10:00–10:20
Keynote: Can the Water-Climate-Cultural Heritage (WCCH) Nexus be quantified? Emanuele Romano, Water Research Institute, Italian National Research Council – CNR-IRSA (IT), Project Leader
The value of Earth Observation in addressing climate-related challenges

Moderated by Antonella Tornato, ISPRA (IT)
10:20–10:35
Copernicus World Heritage Hub Chiara Solimini, EU Agency for the Space Programme (EU)
10:35–10:50
C3S – Copernicus Climate Change Service Chiara Cagnazzo, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (EU)
10:50–11:05
Hydro-geological risk assessment and early warning for resilience community on Cultural Heritage assets Prof. Silvia Bianchini, UNESCO Chair in Prevention and Sustainable Management of Geo-hydrological Hazards / University of Florence (IT)
11:05–11:20
Satellite monitoring of natural and cultural heritage from extreme events in the context of climate change – ISPRA experiences Daniele Spizzichino, ISPRA (IT)
11:20–11:50
Coffee break
11:50
Family portrait
How research supports the protection of cultural and environmental heritage

Moderated by Jessica Amadio, CNR-IRSA (IT)
12:00–12:15
Cultural Heritage in a changing climate: towards risk assessment within the framework of heritage climatology Alessandra Bonazza, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Italian National Research Council (IT)
12:15–12:30
Effects of extreme storm surges in the Mediterranean: observations from ISPRA networks and the WAVEGUARD project, with implications for the protection of the environment and cultural heritage Carlo Lo Re, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (IT)
12:30–12:45
Evidence of climate change in the marine environment – case study and monitoring strategy Maria Cristina Mangano, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (IT)
12:45–13:00
Protecting a changing sea: management, adaptation and resilience in the Capo Milazzo Marine Protected Area Giovanni Mangano, Capo Milazzo Marine Protected Area (IT)
13:00–14:30
Networking lunch
The contribution of academia to the WCCH Nexus

Moderated by Giuseppe Castorina, ISPRA (IT)
14:45–15:00
Advanced methods for sea state detection in the context of climate change Prof. Giuseppe Ciraolo, University of Palermo (IT)
15:00–15:15
Extreme events, risk assessment and mitigation strategies in a changing climate Prof. Rosaria Ester Musumeci, University of Catania (IT)
15:15–15:30
Geomorphological changes on the eastern coast of Sicily following the passage of Cyclone Harry: a preview of the effects of climate change Prof. Giovanni Randazzo, University of Messina (IT)
15:30–15:45
Extreme events and their monitoring in the Maltese archipelago Prof. Sebastiano D’Amico, University of Malta (MT)
15:45–16:00
Hackathon events: engaging young students to address societal challenges in Cultural Heritage, Climate Change, Health and Air Quality Antonella Tornato, ISPRA (IT)
16:00
Conclusion & final remarks
Site visit
18:30–20:00
Guided tour of Taormina

Day 2 · International seminar

Best practices across regions

2 October 2026 · 09:30–16:15 CEST Palazzo dei Duchi di Santo Stefano, Via De Spuches, Taormina · Hybrid English, with on-site IT translation

09:30–10:00
Registration and welcome
10:00–10:30
Greetings & opening remarks Stefano Mariani, ISPRA (IT), WP5 Leader
10:30–10:50
The Horizon EU SD-WISHEES project Emanuele Romano, CNR-IRSA (IT), Project Leader
WP2 session

Moderated by Antonella Tornato, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (IT), WP2 partner
10:50–11:50
- Introduction to WP2 contents and results 10 min
  Natalia Shatirishvili, World Experience for Georgia (GE), WP2 Task Leader
- Youth at the Nexus: AYCCA and the Climate Heritage Network Youth Forum in Climate-Cultural Heritage Action 15 min
  Darius Saviour Ankamah, AYCCA – Alliance for Youth in Climate Change Action (GH)
- STECCI and Regional Cooperation: Shared Heritage, Joint Research and Stronger Preservation Capacity 15 min
  Saida Ibragic, University of Sarajevo (BA)
- Sacred Kaya forests as living heritage: community-led biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in coastal Kenya 15 min
  Esther N. Kioko, National Museums of Kenya (KE)
11:50–12:05
Coffee break
WP3 session

Moderated by Jessica Amadio, CNR-IRSA (IT)
12:05–12:50
- Introduction to WP3 contents and results 10 min
  Julia Gavarrino, French National Research Agency (FR), WP3 Leader
- From research to policy and management: AQUATAP-ES best practice insights 15 min
  Mary Kelly-Quinn, University College Dublin (IE)
- A TAP action at the service of the monitoring and management of hydroclimatic variability for Cultural Heritage resilience 15 min
  Valérie Gouet-Brunet, National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (FR)
WP5 session

Moderated by Giuseppe Castorina, ISPRA (IT)
12:50–13:35
- Introduction to WP5 contents and results 10 min
  Stefano Mariani, ISPRA (IT), WP5 Leader
- Project CMDRP: Coastal morphodynamics for data-driven risk prediction – insights from Cinque Terre 15 min
  Sara Beltrami & Martina Sconosciuto, University of Bologna (IT), and Valerio Oppido
- Underwater Risk Classification for Heritage INdex (URCHIN) 15 min
  Federica Greta Libardo, University of Padova (IT), and Chiara Rivi, University of Bologna (IT)
13:35
Family portrait
13:45–15:00
Networking lunch
WP6 session

Moderated by James Mushori, The African Academy of Sciences (KE), WP6 Task Leader
15:00–15:45
- Introduction to WP6 contents and results 10 min
  Roger Street, Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change – CMCC (IT), WP6 Leader
- Strengthening the resilience of Cultural Heritage at risk in a changing environment through proactive transnational cooperation: lessons learnt within the Interreg CE projects ProteCHt2save, STRENCH and INACO 15 min
  Alessandra Bonazza, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Italian National Research Council (IT)
- Collecting needs and best practices across Europe: the PROCULTHER pathway for integrating cultural heritage into disaster risk management within the UCPM 15 min
  Nadia Francaviglia, Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Civil Protection Department (IT)
15:45–16:15
Conclusion & final remarks
20:30
Dinner For project partners and invited speakers

Day 3 · Site visit

The Ancient Theatre of Taormina

3 October 2026 · 10:00–12:30 CEST Teatro Antico di Taormina

10:00–12:30
Guided visit to the Teatro Antico With a seating area 109 metres in diameter, the theatre is the largest in Italy and Africa after the one in Syracuse. The original structure dates to the 3rd century BC; what stands today is entirely the Roman reconstruction carried out in the first half of the 2nd century AD under Trajan.

Day 1 focuses on innovative solutions supporting hydro-meteorological and marine monitoring and forecasting, the value of Earth Observation in addressing climate challenges, and academia’s contribution to the WCCH Nexus. Day 2 opens the conversation internationally, covering:

01Transnational cooperation — coordinating regional initiatives across Europe, the Balkans, and Africa.
02Community building & youth engagement — connecting heritage traditions with the next generation of stewards.
03Earth observation technology — applying satellite and monitoring data to heritage management.

And then, on Day 3, we'll wrap up this event with a visit to the Teatro Antico. It's an impressive sight that you definitely shouldn't miss!

Why Taormina

Perched above the Ionian coast beneath Mount Etna, Taormina’s Ancient Greek Theatre and hillside old town have stood through centuries of seismic activity, storms, and shifting climate — making it a fitting setting to discuss how heritage sites adapt to hydroclimatic extremes. Both venues sit a short walk apart in the historic centre, reachable from Taormina-Giardini station and Catania Airport.

Event details

Dates1–3 October 2026
VenuesPalazzo dei Congressi & Palazzo dei Duchi di Santo Stefano, Taormina
FormatHybrid — in person or online
LanguagesItalian (Day 1) & English (Day 2), with live translation

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Join us in Taormina, 1–3 October 2026.

Registration is required for both in-person and remote attendance, and is open now.

Project

Contents

SD-WISHEES receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON), HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions, call HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ERA-01, under grant agreement No.101095322. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the EU nor the EC can be held responsible for them.

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