(ANSA) - UDINE, 20 MAR - From theory to practice, from research to the field: on Tuesday, March 24, Blue Economy Forum 2026 will bring together Italian institutions, experts, and water resource managers at the Municipality of Ajdovščina, Slovenia, for a study day entitled "From Model to Territory: Best Practices in Water Management in Slovenia." The focus will be on comparing best practices in sustainable water management, and the event is promoted by the Interreg WABIN project, co-financed by the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme. The study visit is part of the cross-border cooperation between Italy and Slovenia, aimed at strengthening technical skills, fostering knowledge transfer, and promoting innovative models for the integrated management of water resources in response to the challenges posed by climate change. The event will open with institutional greetings from Ajdovščina Mayor Tadej Beočanin, the Italian Ambassador to Slovenia, Giuseppe Cavagna, and the Slovenian Minister of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Jože Novak. This will be followed by a presentation of the WABIN project and a high-level scientific address on climate change and the water cycle by climatologist Lučka Kajfež Bogataj, an IPCC member. During the morning session, experiences and innovative solutions for water resource management will be presented, including measures for addressing natural disasters in Slovenia, the irrigation system of the Vipava Valley, and methodologies for defining national water balances. Participants will take part in a technical workshop on calculating water impact, during which the water balance model developed by the WABIN project and tested in the Mirna Valley case study will be presented. The goal is to transfer operational expertise to the stakeholders involved, making the model replicable in other territorial contexts. In the afternoon, attention will turn to virtuous examples that promote circular-economy solutions, with a focus on microplastics and waste recovery in rivers. The day will conclude with a visit to the Slano Blato site, an area of major environmental and geomorphological significance. The event is for Italian participants and will be held in Italian, offering direct insights into Slovenian experiences. It will be followed by a similar event in Italy for Slovenian participants, reinforcing the project's commitment to reciprocity and cooperation. Free transportation services will be organized from Italy, with departures from Mestre and Villesse and return travel at the end of the day. Through discussion, hands-on work, and a field visit, the event will help build a shared, resilient vision of water management across borders and promote concrete, sustainable solutions for the future. To view the full program and register, please visit the dedicated event page. (ANSA).