Water Resources of Italy (eBook)

This book offers a comprehensive framework of the current state of water resources in Italy and of the main stages of the evolutionary way in the last decades for achieving an integrated, sustainable and equitable water resources management. The main paradigms of water resources development are identified as: i) engineering and economic approach to water resources exploitation, ii) focus on pollution control and  water-excess management, iii) a comprehensive approach toward a sustainable and equitable distribution of resources and effective risk reduction of water-related disasters. 

After a section devoted to the analysis of some historic stages in the legislation framework and the governance of water and soil, with particular reference to planning, design, building and operation of water systems, two sections deal with the estimation of water resources availability on national territory and estimation of water demands in municipal, agricultural, industrial, ecosystem sectors. The complex problems that the Italian society has to solve in the water field and the main challenges of a changing world are discussed in the fourth section of the volume. 

The book will not only be useful for water professionals, but also for citizen who like to discern the key factors which delay the recognition of water as a resource for life. The description of the problems and adopted solutions could also serve as a guideline for similar situations encountered in other countries, improving the preparation of the responsible people.

Giuseppe Rossi, graduated in Civil Engineering, is Emeritus Professor at Catania University (Italy) (Hydrology and Water Resources). He has been visiting scientist at the Colorado State University, Fort Collins (USA) and at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain). He has been vice-president of the International Water Resources Association (2010-2012) and vice-president of the Italian Hydrotechnique Association (2012-2015). The main fields of his scientific research include: Stochastic Hydrology, Water Resources System Management, Drought Analysis and Management. He directed several researches, supported by the Italian funds (Ministry of University and CNR) and coordinated many European and Euro-mediterranean projects on Droughts and Water Management with partners from South Europe, North Africa and Near East Countries. He has been a consultant to the Italian Civil Protection and to the Regional Government of Sicily. He has a long experience in graduate and post-graduate teaching. He has been Director of the NATO Advanced  Study Institute 'Coping with Floods' (Erice, 1992) and invited lecturer at several international events, among which the NATO Advanced Research Workshop 'Urban Water Resources Infrastructures' (Isle of Man, 1989), the NATO ASI 'Defence from Floods and Floodplain Management' (Budapest, 1994), the Joint Research Center Workshop 'Drought Mitigation in Europe' (Ispra, VA,1999); EIFEA Workshop 'Integrated Management of Water Resources' (Paris, 2000); the l'EU-FAO Workshop 'Drought Mitigation for the Near East and the Mediterranean' (Aleppo, 2001); the International Symposium 'Assessment of Drought Mitigation Measures' (Valencia, 2003); the 'International Conference Hydrogaia 2011' (Montpellier, 2011); the 'Indo-Italian Workshop on Advances in Water Resources Development' (Pune, India 2011); and the 'International Symposium on Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources' (Xian, Cina, 2011). Prof. Rossi is the author/editor of 10 books and of more than 200 scientific papers in national and international journals. He is currently a member of the editorial board of Water Resources Management (Springer) and of L'Acqua. He is member of AII, IAHR, IWRA, EWRA, ICID, IAH and some scientific Academies.

Born in 1932, Prof. Marcello Benedini graduated in Civil Engineering at the University of Padua, Italy, in 1957 and in 1968 the Ministry of Education conferred him the highest Degree of 'Libera Docentia' in Hydraulics. He was Assistant Professor to the Chair of Hydraulics and responsible of an experimental Section for research in applied hydraulics at the University of Padua. In 1969 he joined the Water Research Institute of the Italian National Research Council in Rome, Italy, from which he formally retired in 1999, after several years of activity. His research activity started with measuring techniques in the field of theoretical and applied hydraulics and in the development and application of large-scale hydraulic models. At the Water Research Institute he was responsible of a working team for research on advanced methods for water resources management, dealing with both surface and groundwater problems, particularly in relation to the application of Systems Analysis techniques. A senior Member of the International Association of Hydraulic Research (IAHR), he was Chairman of the Technical Sections on 'Systems Analysis' and 'Methods for Water Resources Management'. During the 1990-1993 period he was member of the Board of Directors of the International Water Resources Association. He has been a founder of the European Water Resources Association and an active member in the Italian cooperation with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis ('IIASA') in Laxenburg, Austria. As an expert on water problems he has been consulting engineer for the Italian Ministries of Public Works, Agriculture and Environment, for some Italian Regional administrations and for the Po River Authority. During the 2011-2014 period he was elected President of the Italian Association for Hydrotechnics. He lectured in post-graduate courses in various Universities, in Italy and abroad, also in developing countries. As an expert in water resources problems, he was Consultant to UNESCO for hydrological aspects in protection of historical sites in Jordan and Egypt. Prof. Benedini is author of several scientific contributions in journals, seminars, congresses and technical reports on water management problems, at the national and international level.