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Abstract
Abstract. The global population is increasingly concentrated in cities. Cities and urban areas face many challenges – economic, social, health and environmental – which are often exacerbated by an increase in the frequency of natural disasters. Together, these challenges call for a shift towards sustainable cities which reduce their impact on the surrounding environment, whilst at the same time succeeding to make resources available to their increasing number of inhabitants. This study explores the state of the art of water management practices of the highly urbanised Northern Italian region and plans and scope for the future development of water management. Although the region is at present not under severe water stress, recently some cities faced water scarcity problems and were forced to implement water rationing. We assessed the vulnerability of Parma and Ferrara to a water crisis, together with the regular and emergency adaptation measures already in place, and the forecast for the near future. In two workshops, the authors adapted the Australian concept of water sensitive urban design for the Italian context. Although the population remains generally unaware of the impact of the two latest severe drought events (2003 and 2006/7), many adaptation measures towards a more sustainable use of the water resource are already in place – technically, institutionally, and individually. Water managers consider however that the drastic and definite changes needed to integrate the urban water management cycle, and which minimise the ecological footprint of urban spaces, lay far in the future.
Highlights
The effects of global warming because of climate change is already increasing vulnerability of several urban areas around the world, through raising sea levels, inland floods, more frequent droughts, periods of increased heat, and the spread of diseases
The case studies in the Water2Adapt project were based on two “medium-size” cities in the region, namely, Parma (West) and Ferrara (East), which present similar historical characteristics whilst having very dissimilar water management practices. We studied their reactions to the two most serious droughts of the last ten years, namely 2003 and 2006/7, and their preparations for longer periods of water scarcity expected in the future due to climate change patterns
This study explores the state of practice of water management of the highly urbanised Northern Italian region and plans and scope for the future development of water management
Summary
The effects of global warming because of climate change is already increasing vulnerability of several urban areas around the world, through raising sea levels, inland floods, more frequent droughts, periods of increased heat, and the spread of diseases. In 2003, more than 70 000 people died in Europe from a severe heat wave (The World Bank, 2010). These kinds of extreme events will increase in coming years. The access to basic urban services, especially those linked to water supply, is expected to become more difficult, worsening citizens’ quality of life. Urban planned need cities’ infrastructure to be able to contrast these threats and ensure that the main services continue to be provided to its inhabitants (i.e. water supply and transport, amongst others). Like Australia, the widespread realisation of the significance of climate change stimulates citizens’ aspirations to ensure that cities reduce their ecological footprint in order to become more sustainable, and to improve their structure and function to make them more liveable in. Change seems slow: many cities still face ongoing investments in the conventional way
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