Water Governance in Italy: From Fragmentation to Coherence Through Coordination Attempts

Abstract

This chapter aims at putting the institutional management of water bodies in Italy in perspective. The evolution of the regime governing water bodies is discussed, taking into account the situation prior to as well as after the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. In particular, the current regime, enforced through Legislative Decree no. 152/2006, meant to bring the Italian legal system in line with the abovementioned Directive, is illustrated and commented upon. The long implementation process is described, from Law no. 13/2009 to Legislative Decree no. 49/2010 (which transposed the Floods Directive), Law no. 221/2015 and Ministerial Decree of 25 October 2016, which ultimately brought to completion the reform in water management. Indeed, this dynamic process represents an interesting case that triggers a number of questions about the effectiveness and coherence of the national institutional and legislative framework. The main phases that marked water governance history in Italy are analysed.