On March 20, 2026, World Water Day, the city of Udine became the first municipality in Italy to receive Blue Community certification.

This recognition places Udine in a global network alongside 118 cities, including Paris and Berlin, all united by a shared commitment: treating water as a common good and a universal human right.

On the same day, the Union of Madonie Municipalities in Sicily, home to the Madonie UNESCO Global Geopark, also received Blue Community recognition, marking a significant step forward for water stewardship across Italy.

Udine’s Path to Blue Community Recognition

The city of Udine qualified through concrete actions across four strategic areas:

🔹 Smart Infrastructure: Over 3,000 km of aqueducts have been digitised into a “digital twin,” with more than 21,000 smart meters installed to detect leaks in real time, drastically reducing water loss.

🔹 Reducing Plastic: New drinking water fountains are being installed in five primary schools, alongside a new public water station (casetta dell’acqua) at Parco Martiri delle Foibe. These efforts directly challenge Italy’s status as Europe’s largest consumer of bottled water.

🔹 Protecting Ecosystems: Udine is actively participating in “River Contracts” (Contratti di Fiume) for the Cormor, Roiello, and Torre rivers, collaborative agreements to safeguard local water resources.

🔹 Public & Participatory Management: The city has committed to keeping water services under public oversight while fostering community engagement and environmental education.

“We want Udine to be a national example: a city capable of combining public resource management, innovation, environmental education, and community participation.” — Eleonora Meloni, Councilor for Environmental Sustainability

The certification was delivered virtually by Maude Barlow, founder of the global Blue Community movement. Support came from CAFC (the local water utility), the University of Udine, and CeVI (Centro di Volontariato Internazionale), an Udine-based NGO that coordinated Italy’s Blue Community project.

As Italy’s first Blue Communities, Udine and the Madonie are leading the future in urban innovation and resource protection, demonstrating a path forward where community participation and respect for the human right to water work together in harmony.

Sources & more information

https://www.friulioggi.it/udine/tutela-acqua-udine-prima-blue-community-italia-20-marzo-2026

https://www.palermotoday.it/attualita/madonie-riconosciute-come-blue-community.html