sponsor

With the patronage of:
International Union of Geodesy and GeophysicsEuropean Geosciences UnionDepartment DICAM - University of Bologna Panta RheiItalian Hydrological Society

Evolving Water Resources Systems - Understanding, Predicting and Managing Water - Society Interactions

The venue

The meeting will be hosted by the University of Bologna and will take place in University rooms located in the centre of the city.



Bologna is the seventh most populated in Italy. It is an important cultural and artistic centre. Its importance in terms of landmarks can be attributed to a homogenous mixture of monuments and architectural examples (medieval towers, antique buildings, churches, the layout of its historical centre) as well as works of art which are the result of a first class architectural and artistic history. According to the most recent data gathered by the European Regional Economic Growth Index (E-REGI) of 2009, Bologna is the first Italian city and the 47th European city in terms of its economic growth rate. The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 and is the oldest university in Europe. It counts about 100,000 students in its 23 schools. The International Airport Guglielmo Marconi of Bologna is located at 10 minutes by bus from the centre of the city.
 Collage of Bologna views

A collage of the city, showing the Fontana del Nettuno, the Public Library Sala Borsa, the Piazza Maggiore and an aerial view of the city.

The city, the first settlements of which date back to at least one 1000 BC, has always been an important urban centre, first under the Etruscans (Velzna/Felsina) and the Celts (Bona), then under the Romans (Bononia), then again in the Middle Ages, as a free municipality (for one century it was the fifth largest European city based on population). Famous for its towers and lengthy porticoes, Bologna has a well-preserved historical centre (one of the largest in Italy) thanks to a careful restoration and conservation policy which began at the end of the 1970s, on the heels of serious damage done by the urban demolition at the end of the 19th century as well as that caused by wars.

Bologna is also an important transportation crossroad for the roads and trains of Northern Italy, where many important mechanical, electronic and nutritional industries have their headquarters.

Bologna is home to prestigious cultural, economic and political institutions as well as one of the most impressive trade fair districts in Europe. In 2000 it was declared European capital of culture and in 2006, a UNESCO “city of music”. The city of Bologna was selected to participate in the Universal Exposition of Shanghai 2010 together with 45 other cities from around the world. Bologna is also one of the wealthiest cities in Italy, often ranking as one of the top cities in terms of quality of life in the country.