DISCOV.ER: Digital Twin and Citizen Science for the Sustainability of Areas of Natural and Tourist Interest

Climate change is increasingly affecting both human activities and natural ecosystems, putting pressure on environmental stability and causing biodiversity loss. In this context, the Po Delta, an ecologically sensitive area in Italy comprising an UNESCO site and three Ramsar-designated wetland sites, faces challenges related to rising sea levels, salinity shifts, and pollution caused by human activities. The DISCOV.ER project tackles these issues by developing innovative technologies aimed at supporting sustainable management and increasing public awareness. At the core of the project is a digital twin fed by (i) heterogeneous data sources, including real-time environmental sensors and multimedia content, (ii) AI-powered insights and predictions, and (iii) participatory data collected through citizen science. The platform also integrates interactive services based on game thinking and data visualization to engage citizens and visitors with biodiversity and sustainability topics and promote ecotourism. In this paper, we present the research framework guiding the project and provide an overview of the activities conducted thus far, including the design and installation of the sensing infrastructure, the co-design of citizen science tools through interviews and surveys, and the development of the digital twin platform to aggregate and present the data of our digital twin.