OneAquaHealth adoption workshop in Benevento: Sharing evidence for urban water resilience
On Saturday, 27 June, the Teatro de la Salle in Benevento hosted the OneAquaHealth Adoption Workshop, an event held shortly before the conclusion of the project. As it approached its completion in 2026, OneAquaHealth asked the five research sites to share their findings with local stakeholders through direct engagement activities. For the Benevento site – coordinated by the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production at the University of Naples Federico II, in collaboration with the National Research Council – the workshop consisted of a morning of institutional presentations followed by an afternoon session dedicated to Local Allies, concluding with a convivial brunch at “Gustagricolo.”
The conference opened with an introduction by Luigi Esposito (Federico II University) and Oscar Tamburis (CNR), followed by contributions from a distinguished institutional audience: regional councilors Maria Carmela Serluca and Fiorella Zabatta; the Mayor of Benevento, Hon. Mario Clemente Mastella; the municipal councilor for the Environment, Oberdan Picucci; the Rector of the University of Sannio, Maria Moreno; and numerous representatives of the Local Health Authority, the Matese National Park, WWF, the Carabinieri Forestry Corps, and the regional Civil Protection Department.
The central session of the morning featured presentations by qualified citizens, offering a mosaic of perspectives that illustrated the transversal nature of water‑related issues: from rural depopulation to water radioactivity, from fish monitoring to fish diseases in Benevento’s streams, from mammal fauna as a bioindicator to the IIS Galilei Vetrone’s educational activities on watercourses. Broader themes were also addressed, including the precautionary principle for inland water conservation, the Campania Region’s strategic priorities for water resilience, and a concluding reflection on osmotic balance as a metaphor for life’s stability, presented by anesthesiologist Brunello Pezza.
The second part of the workshop focused on the Local Allies of Benevento—the network of associations and institutions that supported the project in the region. These included the Campania Region, CERIC ERIC, the Territorial Hunting Area, LIPU, WWF, the Italian Sport Fishing Federation, the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, the Soglitelle Oasis Bird Ringing Station, and the Beneslan Association, which closed the event with a presentation on sensory theatre for children. The final discussion offered a moment of direct exchange between researchers, administrators, and citizens before the concluding brunch.
Roberto Esse, from the Coldiretti Campania Press Office, moderated the entire day.
Author(s): Luigi Esposito, University of Naples Federico II