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Today's ecclesiastical period focuses, in the theological reflection, on synodal subjects, structures, processes, and events, including the celebration of Synods in local and national Churches. Starting from the study on the Diocesan Synod celebrated in Trani in the years 2012-2016, it is interesting to focus on the Synods celebrated in the Churches of Apulia after 1983, the year of publication of the new Code of Canon Law. A large number of Italian dioceses has been celebrating Diocesan Synods since the first post-Conciliar years up to the present day, giving rise to an extraordinary ecclesiastical renewal. In Apulia there are seven local Churches that celebrated their own Diocesan Synod in different times and modalities. From the analysis of the texts of the Apulian Synods, a sense of continuity emerges that is useful to understand the synodal pace of the Churches of Apulia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The professional figure of European Scientific Diver (ESD) is still poorly known and spread in the European Countries, despite the Scientific Scuba Community strongly works to reach this target. ARPA Puglia (Regional Agency for the Prevention and Protection of the Environment), adopting the guidelines "Good Practices for safe underwater scientific activities of ISPRA and the Regional Environmental Agencies" (ISPRA Manuali e linee guida 94/2013 ISBN: 978-88-448-0625-5), has recognized this professional figure, and through a tiring path, has created a specific team. In particular, this operative team works in the "Centro Regionale Mare" of the Agency and is involved in a large number of sampling and monitoring activities according to European Directives as well as other technical-scientific rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At global level, the vulnerability of aquifers is deteriorating at an alarming rate due to environmental pollution and intensive human activities. In this context, Local Health Authority ASL Lecce has launched the M.I.N.O.Re. (Not Compulsory Water Monitoring Activities at Regional level) project, in order to assess the vulnerability of the aquifer in Salento area (Puglia Region) by performing several non-compulsory analyses on groundwater samples. This first paper describes the quali-quantitative approach adopted under the M.I.N.O.Re. project for the assessment of environmental pressures suffered by groundwater and determines the number of wells to be monitored in specific sampling areas on the basis of the local potential contamination and vulnerability of the aquifer. Methods: We created a map of the entire Lecce province, interpolating it with a grid that led to the subdivision of the study area in 32 quadrangular blocks measuring 10 km × 10 km. Based on current hydrogeological knowledge and institutional data, we used GIS techniques to represent on these 32 blocks the 12 different layers corresponding to the main anthropic or environmental type of pressures potentially impacting on the aquifer. To each kind of pressure, a score from 0 to 1 was attributed on the basis of the potential impact on groundwater. A total score was assigned to each of the 32 blocks. A higher number of wells was selected to be monitored in those blocks presenting higher risk scores for possible groundwater contamination due to anthropic/environmental pressures. Results: The range of total scores varied from 2.4 to 42.5. On the basis of total scores, the 10 km × 10 km blocks were divided into four classes of environmental pressure (1st class: from 0,1 to 10,00; 2nd class: from 10,01 to 20,00; 3rd class: from 20,1 to 30,00; 4th class: from 30,01 to 42,50). There were 11 areas in the 1st class, 9 areas in the 2nd class, 8 areas in the 3rd class and 4 areas in the 4th class. We assigned 1 monitoring well in 1st class areas, 2 monitoring wells in 2nd class areas, 3 monitoring wells in 3rd class areas and 4 monitoring wells in 4th class areas. Conclusion: The methodology developed under the M.I.N.O.Re. project could represent a useful model to be used in other areas to assess the environmental pressures suffered by aquifers and the quality of the groundwater.