FOOTPRINTS - observe, understand, act - what we leave behind

ARPAL, the College of Alpine Guides, the IANUA University Consortium, together with the University of Genoa and other organizations committed to sustainability issues (such as UniGe Sostenibile), share a strong interest in developing a structured collaboration that networks scientific, technical, educational and communication skills. The common goal is to increase citizens' awareness - with particular attention to the younger generations - on the issues of meteorological-hydrological risk in Liguria and the impacts of climate change, through effective and accessible dissemination methods.

This is the context in which the proposal for a review of scientific, cultural and educational eventsis conceived as a meeting space between research, the local area and citizens. The review intends to focus attention on the concrete and observable signs of climate change in our territory, evident in the transformations of the natural environment and the urban context, making the phenomenon understandable and close to people's daily experience.

The review will take place over two weeks in April 2026, with main events coinciding with Earth Day (22 April). Designed to include study days and creative workshops, it will be divided into seminars, workshops, round tables, educational activities, laboratories and moments of cultural dissemination. The initiative is designed to involve a broad and intergenerational audience, encouraging active and informed participation.

The thematic path will start from the analysis of the rapid transformations already underway in various contexts:

• mountain environment, with particular reference to the retreat of glaciers and the altitudinal shift of the ranges of animal and plant species;
• urban and coastal environment, with phenomena such as heat islands, the spread of invasive alien species with repercussions on health and economic activities, the disappearance of the historic Genoese snow pits and the impacts on fishing systems.

Starting from this evidence, the review intends to propose good practices, adaptation strategies and urban, landscape and ecological solutions already tested – or potentially applicable to the Ligurian context – capable of mitigating the effects of climate change and increasing the resilience of the territories.

For the entire duration of the exhibition, the comic book exhibition “2 passi nel clima”created by the cartoonist Gian Lorenzo Ingramiwill be set up in the exhibition space of theBenvenuto Hall of the Department of Architecture and Design of the University of Genoa. The exhibition represents an innovative and inclusive communication tool, capable of bringing different audiences – particularly young people and students – closer to the issues of climate and the environment.

In parallel, activities dedicated to schools and citizens will be organized, aimed at encouraging guided use of the exhibition and stimulating reflection, dialogue and a sense of collective responsibility with respect to the challenges posed by climate change.