Climate change, poor efficiency of the policy systems and human negligence towards the territory are responsible for environmental disasters, which now represent a relevant warning sign to act quickly. In this scenario, rivers are the main actors and constitute the object of the research. The investigation was based on the reflexion of hydrogeological risks to overcome those through the introduction of participative instruments, establishing public-private synergy. Within this context, it is possible to find the “River Contract”, which combines several aspects related to the river landscapes, from safety standards to sustainable land development. The aim is to return rivers to their cities, it means to restore natural elements that represented the origin of cities, now obfuscated by hydrological risk, pollution, and unauthorized activities. The purpose of the research is to identify the interventions started by participatory processes, which have provided valuable solutions concerning water resources and triggered responsibility for the commons.

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territory risk,participatory process,river contract,river restoration,commons