On October 9, the Priamar Fortress in Savona will open its doors to the public for a day entirely dedicated to science in the service of prevention. As part of the italian Civil Protection Week and in collaboration with ARPAL and the Municipality of Savona, CIMA Research Foundation has organized an event combining educational activities, institutional contributions, and scientific insights, with the aim of showing how knowledge and research can be transformed into awareness and concrete tools to address risks linked to climate change.
“Civil protection is built on science and dialogue with communities. This is why we chose to host the event at the Priamar, a symbolic space we want to transform into a Climate Change Citadel: a dynamic hub where technical expertise, training, culture, and territory come together to face global challenges,” emphasizes Luca Ferraris, President of CIMA Research Foundation.
The risks of the territory: do they concern me?
Science becomes a living experience when it touches everyday life. The morning will be dedicated to students, who will take part in interactive workshops designed to show how climate change and natural hazards concretely affect the territory we live in.
This is not only about knowing data and statistics, but about understanding that prevention begins with everyday behavior: simple and conscious gestures that, when combined, can reduce the impact of extreme events.
The participation of schools will be a powerful signal: the future of civil protection also depends on the education of the new generations.
Water between resource and risk
The afternoon reflection will be guided by the theme of water. Water is the red thread connecting life, the environment, and the safety of communities. It is a vital resource, yet also a fragile element that, in a rapidly changing climate, can turn into a source of risk.
Researchers will guide citizens on a journey through health and ecosystems, showing how the increasingly rapid disappearance of snow alters the availability of freshwater, and how satellites allow us to monitor drought and forecast its effects. It will not be an “abstract lesson,” but a concrete narrative touching on agriculture, urban areas facing floods or water shortages, and coastlines changing under the pressure of storm surges.
The water we drink, the food we eat, the landscapes we live in every day are all part of this story. This is why prevention is not a subject reserved for scientists—it concerns each of us. Only through the active participation of citizens can knowledge be transformed into actions that truly protect the future.
Civil protection is all of us (including you)
Civil protection is therefore a shared responsibility. It does not belong solely to experts or institutions—it is a collective commitment involving communities, researchers, and citizens.
During the event, local and national authorities will take the floor, alongside remote contributions from Anna Maria Bernini, Minister of University and Research, and Fabio Ciciliano, Head of the Civil Protection Department, as well as the Department’s Centers of Competence.
The meeting will be an opportunity to reaffirm that science is strengthened through joint work with institutions and, above all, through people’s participation: it is in this encounter that knowledge becomes concrete action and shared protection, giving meaning and strength to prevention.
A commitment looking toward the future
The final discussion will bring together the threads of a day designed to foster dialogue among research, institutions, and citizens. It marks an important step toward the creation of the Climate Change Citadel at the Priamar Fortress: a permanent laboratory of science, culture, and resilience—symbol of a collective commitment to confronting global environmental challenges.
The event can be streamed at this link.
