ABU DHABI (WAM)
A delegation from the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) held a series of high-level meetings with local and regional institutions, research centres, and sustainability-focused organisations in the Italian cities of Rome, Venice, and Milan, with the aim of fostering international cooperation and exchanging expertise on shared environmental priorities.
Discussions focused on sustainable resource management, climate change adaptation, coastal protection, circular economy, environmental monitoring, and the role of digital innovation in enhancing public services.
Secretary-General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, said, “Abu Dhabi and Italy share a strong commitment to addressing pressing environmental challenges, from coastal protection to the circular economy. This mission enabled a genuine exchange of expertise with Italian institutions whose work complements our own, and has laid the groundwork for targeted cooperation aligned with Abu Dhabi's long-term environmental priorities.”
In Rome, the delegation discussed digital models for urban environmental services during a working session and site visit to the operational control centre of Azienda Municipale Ambiente (AMA), Rome’s municipal company for integrated waste management.
EAD also attended the international conference “Ocean and Human Health,” hosted by the Italian National Institute of Health, and visited Casaccia Research Centre of the Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA), where discussions focused on green biotechnology and air quality modelling.
In Venice, EAD’s delegation met with representatives of the Veneto Region for an exchange on territorial policies, water resource management, civil protection and climate adaptation. Subsequent meetings with the Venice Sustainability Foundation and Consorzio Venezia Nuova addressed lagoon protection, integrated urban sustainability models and the management of the Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico (MOSE) flood barrier system, including a tour of its facilities.
The mission concluded in Milan, where EAD met with the Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente (ARPA Lombardia), the regional environmental protection agency, to discuss its activities in air quality, water resources, hydrogeological risk and support for major international events.
A final session with the Directorate-General for Environment and Climate of the Lombardy Region focused on regional strategies for environmental innovation and territorial planning.
At the conclusion of the mission, EAD and participating Italian institutions identified opportunities to advance cooperation through technical exchanges, knowledge-sharing and potential joint initiatives, with a focus on coastal resilience, circular economy and environmental monitoring.