Benevento

The city Benevento with its approx. 60,000 inhabitants has developed along its rivers. It is located in a hinterland basin of the Campania region (135m a.s.l.). Surrounded by high hills and mountains such as the Taburno Camposauro massif, Monte Mutria and the Daunian Mountains. It is centered between the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic Sea.

There are two main rivers in the city: the Calore, a tributary of the Volturno River, and Sabato, which enters into Calore. These rivers have completely been integrated in the urbanization and many embankments have been modified by overbuilding (mostly illegal) by recent districts. In many cases, this condition prevents the separation of rainwater from wastewater with the result of a large presence of water pollution and environmental degradation, which differentiates this research site from the others, bringing complementary information. Conversely, the numerous streams and minor rivers have a rich riparian vegetation with habitats that host native, but also invasive plant and animal species.

In 2009, the Province of Benevento financed a project for monitoring the rivers Calore, Sabato, Isclero and Tammaro. This project allowed to collect first data on the status of the various rivers, broadening the temporal and spatial scale of OneAquaHealth. We will complement this data with water quality assessments, biodiversity and environmental monitoring.