Franco has over 30 years’ international experience in the field of environmental studies, water management and hydrogeology in the field of dam design and hydropower projects.

After obtaining his degree in Geology from the University of Rome, Franco advanced his studies and deepened his knowledge in the fields of hydrogeology and geology through lengthy periods on site during the construction of several large dam design and hydropower projects, including the world’s largest RCC dam (Gibe III).

Fascinated by environmental and social issues, in 2003 he obtained his Masters in Environmental Planning, from the University of Rome and since then he has been so captivated by these issues to make them the center of his professional career, particularly in dam design projects.

He is Studio Pietrangeli’s chief environmental expert, directly responsible for all the firm’s ESIA studies, mainly related to dam design, hydropower plants, large civil and hydraulic structures and transmission lines, in Europe, Africa and South America, financed by international donor funds such as the World Bank, African Development Bank and European Union, among others.

As an independent consultant, he has worked in the past as senior hydrogeologist and environmental expert for various international projects, not only in dam design, all of them water and environment-related, sponsored and/or financed by international agencies including United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Biology Department of Rome II University “Tor Vergata” and the Italian National Research Council (CNR).

Franco is passionate about outdoor activities such as speleology, trekking, mountaineering, hiking along historical routes well-trodden by medieval pilgrims, and thanks to his affinity with water loves challenging the waves with his surf and kitesurf.

A caver since 1975 with the Circolo Speleologico Romano, during the detailed dam design of the Namakhvani project in Georgia, he worked for the definition of the karst features upstream of the Tvishi Dam passing through the closed siphon of the main cave to complete the whole survey.