The VIa Conference of the Alps (Lucerne, Switzerland, 2000) has commissioned the SOIA ("Observation and Information System of the Alps") working group the task to develop different projects for the different thematic areas. Within the context of the "Cartography" thematic area, Italy is the coordinator of the "Ecopedological Map" project. Within the Convention of the Alps, the responsible institution for this project is the Permanent Secretariat in Bolzano (EURAC). The Italien National Agency for the Environment and Technical Services (APAT) has been assigned the task to launch the project, to gather information on soil data available in the different countries and to provide the SOIA working group with a document synthesizing the main tasks to be completed for the project (Monaco, 2002). The document has been approved by the member states. APAT has then shared the burden of the task with the Centro Studi Val d'Ossola and the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of the Veneto Region (ARPAV) in 2004. The Centro Studi Val d'Ossola has been assigned operational tasks, including: assessment of available information on soil data, identification of pilot areas, data collection, organisation of the field trips, and production of the ecopedological map. To carry out these tasks, the Centro Studi has benefited from the technical and scientific collaboration of the Research Centre for the Environment and Sustainable Development of Lombary (CRASL) of the Catholic University in Brescia. The Soil Observatory of ARPA Veneto has been assigned tasks of coordination among the partners and development of an exchange format for ecopedological data, to be shared among international partners. The collaboration between all these institutions, along with scientists from the Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit of the EC - DG JRC in ISPRA and the partners in different countries has allowed the achievement of the objectives of the project in a shared and comprehensive manner. The map is available in both digital and hard copy, and represents an example of the application of the geospatial data interoperability principles advocated by the INSPIRE initiative. Furthermore, it should be considered the methodologicla basis for the implementation of a more extensive mapping effort for the entire Alpine region.
