The Water Abstraction License Regime in Italy: A Case for Reform?

Santato, Silvia; Myšiak, Jaroslav; Pérez-Blanco, C. Dionisio

doi:10.3390/w8030103

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Climate models predict an exacerbation of their torrential characteristics, with an intensification of extreme meteorological phenomena and reduced flow rates in the summer season [9]. This situation is further aggravated by increases in water withdrawals for irrigation purposes [25,26]. The Tiber River basin (Central Italy) is characterized by the presence of a large number of endemic fish species with limited areal distribution which are, therefore, highly vulnerable to extinction [27,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endemic Freshwater Fish Range Shifts Related to Global Climate Changes: A Long-Term Study Provides Some Observational Evidence for the Mediterranean Area

Carosi

Padula²,

Ghetti³

et al. 2019

Water

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Climate changes will lead to a worsening of the ecological conditions, in terms of hydrological instability and rising water temperatures, of the Mediterranean rivers. Freshwater fishes inhabiting this area can be threatened in the near future by accelerating drought and decreased ecological connectivity. The main aim of the research was to analyze changes in the distribution of the endemic freshwater fishes Padogobius nigricans, Squalius lucumonis and Telestes muticellus in the Tiber River basin (Italy), within a proven period of climate warming, in terms of increasing water temperature and droughts. A multivariate analysis was conducted using fish and environmental data collected in 117 sites over the years 1990–2017. For the three species, population abundance, age structure and body condition were analyzed. Detectability, occupancy, local extinction and colonization processes were also examined. We showed that S. lucumonis and T. muticellus have shifted their distributions upstream, likely in order to reach their thermal optimum. Padogobius nigricans did not move upstream significantly, since the species is characterized by limited vagility and thus a low dispersal capability in a context of high river fragmentation. In the study area, elevation and river barriers seem to play a key role in extirpation and colonization processes; for S. lucumonis and T. muticellus the extinction probability decreased with increasing altitude, while for P. nigricans the colonization probability decreased with an increasing degree of river fragmentation. These results highlight how species-specific dispersal ability can lead to varying adaptability to climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endemic Freshwater Fish Range Shifts Related to Global Climate Changes: A Long-Term Study Provides Some Observational Evidence for the Mediterranean Area

Carosi

Padula²,

Ghetti³

et al. 2019

Water

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“…6 A variety of programmes are contained within the National Rural Network to achieve these goals. For more information, see (RRN, 2020 [94]). 7 OECD calculations based on EAFRD data.…”

Section: Governance Framework Affecting Disaster Risk Management In Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Building the resilience of Italy’s agricultural sector to drought

Baldwin¹,

Casalini²

2021

OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers

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Increasingly frequent and severe droughts are threatening Italy's agricultural sector. With climate change forecast to accelerate these trends, the sector must build long-term resilience. This will require better planning and preparing for, absorbing the impact of, and recovering from droughts, as well as more successfully adapting and transforming in response to these events. Recent positive developments include improved data collection on water supplies and agricultural damage and loss from natural hazards to better inform water management and investment decisions; strengthened commitment to ex ante risk management frameworks; and more participatory approaches for water management. Nevertheless, the agricultural policy portfolio currently underemphasises investments in on-farm preparedness and adaptation, in favour of coping tools such as insurance. Further efforts to build agricultural resilience could benefit from a holistic, long-term sectoral risk management strategy; an evaluation of the trade-offs between spending on risk coping tools versus investments in natural hazard preparedness and measures to mitigate their impacts; and more explicit consideration of farmer demographics and capacities in policy design.

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“…Data on water abstractions are often very sparse and inconsistent. Ziolkowska and Ziolkowski [38,39] showed that in many European countries, there is still a deep lack of information and data; specifically, agricultural water use data in southern Europe is very problematic due to a lack of updated information, making any estimate of this critical issue very difficult [40].…”

Section: Water Abstractions Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Approach to Calculate the Water Exploitation Index (WEI+)

Casadei

Peppoloni

Pierleoni

2020

Water

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The Water Exploitation Index (WEI), or withdrawal ratio, is an indicator of water scarcity, which has been updated into its WEI+ form by the Committee of Experts of the European Commission. In calculating the total abstraction of fresh water, this indicator also includes the possible return flow and management rules. The demand for freshwater and long-term freshwater resources are both necessary to calculate the WEI+. These values are not easy to assess at basin or sub-basin level and, for this reason, WEI values are generally calculated at the country level. This paper introduces a new approach to calculate the WEI+, with the purpose of extending its use to basin and sub-basin levels. The methodology is based on flow duration curve estimation, which evaluates freshwater resources, and a Web-GIS system that evaluates water abstractions distribution. This approach allows for the assessment of locally stressed areas in the hydrographic network and could provide a fundamental step toward more comprehensive regional water resources management plans. The new methodology is tested in some sub-basins of the Upper Tiber River Basin (Italy). These results contribute to the analysis of water withdrawals sustainability, based on the policy of the European Environment Agency, which is aimed toward the development of a proactive approach for reducing water stress.

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The Water Abstraction License Regime in Italy: A Case for Reform?

Cited by 16 publications

References 13 publications

Endemic Freshwater Fish Range Shifts Related to Global Climate Changes: A Long-Term Study Provides Some Observational Evidence for the Mediterranean Area

Endemic Freshwater Fish Range Shifts Related to Global Climate Changes: A Long-Term Study Provides Some Observational Evidence for the Mediterranean Area

Building the resilience of Italy’s agricultural sector to drought

A New Approach to Calculate the Water Exploitation Index (WEI+)

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