The control and reduction of pollutant loads delivered to the Venice Lagoon are essential tasks for the safeguard of the water quality of this peculiar coastal system. The drainage basin (total surface of about 2038 km2) represent the major source of contaminants for the lagoon. It is constituted by an ensemble of tributary sub-basins with complex characteristics and hydraulic pathway.

Institutional controls and environmental monitoring activities by the Veneto Region and the State administration are converging in order to support an integrated evaluation of the state and the evolution of the Lagoon ecosystem.

The Veneto Region has developed plans to reduce and/or prevent pollution and improve the quality of fresh water in the drainage basin. It also is constantly monitoring rivers, channels, groundwater and coastal waters for quality through its Regional Environmental Protection and Prevention Agency.

The immediate objective is to obtain an accurate description of the ecological state for the lagoon and its drainage basin because this is the reference point against which the impact of further development of environmental and type protection measures and tide protection measures and other actions implemented both the Veneto Region and the State may be measured.

The paper describes briefly the main Regional planning competences and work carried out for pollution prevention and for cleaning up the drainage basin in Venice lagoon.