CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICI E GESTIONE DELLE RISORSE IDRICHE

Knowledge and understanding

The course aims to provide students with knowledge of water resources management in the context of climate change, integrating the technical and engineering aspects of water systems planning and management with the scientific basis of climate change and the main governance and planning frameworks.

By the end of the course, students will know and understand:

·  the main concepts related to water availability and water demand;

·  the issues related to drought, water shortage and water scarcity, and the main indicators used for their characterization;

·  the principles of simulation and optimization of water supply systems;

·  the main legislative frameworks and planning tools for water resources management;

·  the components and functioning of the Earth's climate system and the main factors controlling climate;

·  the distinction between climate variability and climate change and the main causes of climate change;

·  the main climate change governance frameworks and institutions at global, European, national and regional levels;

·  the distinction between mitigation and adaptation strategies and the main adaptation measures in the water resources sector;

·  the main statistical methods for trend analysis of hydrological time series;

·  the general characteristics of global and regional climate models and the scenarios used for climate change assessment;

·  the main methodologies for assessing the impacts of climate change on water resources.

Applying knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

·  apply methodologies for assessing water availability;

·  calculate and interpret the main indices used to characterize drought;

·  understand and apply simulation methods for the analysis of water supply systems and assess their performance;

·  retrieve and use the main sources of hydrological and climate data;

·  apply statistical methods to detect and quantify trends in hydrological time series;

·  interpret information provided by climate models and climate change scenarios;

·  retrieve, visualize and perform basic processing of climate projections;

·  analyse the effects of climate change on water availability;

·  identify possible adaptation strategies for water resources management under variable climatic conditions.

Making judgements

Students will develop the ability to critically select appropriate data, methodologies and tools for the analysis of water resources management problems and for assessing the impacts of climate change.

Through exercises and the analysis of case studies, students will also develop the ability to critically interpret results, assess the assumptions and limitations of the methodologies applied, and compare different management and adaptation strategies.

Communication skills

Students will acquire the ability to correctly use technical terminology related to water resources management and climate change and to clearly and rigorously describe the methodologies, data and results of the analyses carried out.

The preparation of the report on the exercises will contribute to developing the ability to effectively organize and present data, calculation procedures and results. The final oral examination will also assess the ability to present and discuss the topics covered in the course.

Learning skills

Students will acquire the methodological tools required to independently explore issues related to water resources management and the assessment of climate change impacts.

They will also be able to independently consult scientific literature, technical and institutional documentation, and hydrological and climate data sources, as well as use data processing and analysis tools to further explore the topics addressed during the course.

UN 2030 Agenda Goals

The course contributes in particular to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda:

·  Goal 6: sustainable management of water resources, improvement of water-use efficiency and protection of water-related ecosystems;

·  Goal 11: development of cities and human settlements resilient to climate change and disasters, and promotion of integrated risk management strategies;

·  Goal 13: strengthening knowledge and capacities for climate change mitigation and adaptation, impact reduction and climate planning;

·  Goal 15: combating desertification and land degradation, with particular reference to the effects of drought and extreme events.

The course consists of 63 total teaching hours.

Teaching activities include theoretical lectures and individual classroom exercises.

The theoretical lectures are aimed at providing knowledge of water resources management, water availability and drought assessment, simulation and optimization of water supply systems, the scientific basis of climate change, climate governance frameworks, and methodologies for assessing climate change impacts.

The exercises include:

·  application of models for assessing water availability;

·  application of statistical methods for assessing the significance and slope of trends in hydrological time series;

·  retrieval, visualization and basic processing of climate projections.

The exercises are aimed at developing students' ability to apply the knowledge and methodologies presented during the lectures and contribute to the development of independent judgement through the interpretation and discussion of the results obtained.

If the course is delivered in blended or remote mode, appropriate adjustments may be made to the above in order to ensure consistency with the syllabus.

Basic knowledge of hydrological processes and water resources assessment is important for understanding water availability assessment methods, drought analysis and the functioning of water supply systems.

Basic computer skills and familiarity with spreadsheets and word-processing software, particularly MS Excel and MS Word, are also useful for carrying out the exercises and preparing the required reports.

Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended, particularly to allow students to participate in the exercises and facilitate the acquisition of the practical skills expected from the course.

Students who have been granted a special status under University regulations for specific circumstances will agree with the instructor on attendance arrangements and the completion of the exercises.

1. INTRODUCTION

Course presentation. Evolution of water management. New paradigms: systems approach, sustainable development, risk management, efficiency and effectiveness of water services. Climate change-related issues. Application examples of water resources management in the context of climate change and an overview of the main analysis methods.

2. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Principles of water legislation. Main Italian legislative frameworks: Consolidated Law of 1933, General Master Plan for Aqueducts, Law 319/1976 and subsequent amendments, Law 183/1989 and subsequent amendments, Law 36/1994, Legislative Decree 152/1999. Implementation of water legislation in Italy and Sicily. European Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. Legislative Decree 152/2006.

3. WATER RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AND AVAILABILITY ISSUES

Classification of water resources. Natural, potential and usable water resources. Non-conventional water resources. Models for assessing surface water resources. Classification of water demands. Assessment of water demands for domestic, irrigation and industrial uses. Water conservation. Definitions of drought, water shortage and water scarcity. Standardized drought indices: Standardized Precipitation Index, Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index, Standardized Runoff Index, etc. Water scarcity indices. National and international data sources, including reanalysis projects and the European Drought Observatory. Exercise on models for assessing water availability.

4. SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Operational issues in water supply systems. Storage reservoirs. Reservoir simulation. Simulation of reservoir systems. Assessment of water system performance. Application examples. Role of optimization in water systems planning and management. Overview of linear programming, stochastic linear programming and nonlinear programming algorithms.

5. EARTH SYSTEM AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Difference between weather and climate. Difference between climate variability and climate change. Fundamentals of system dynamics: definition of a system, stocks and flows, positive and negative feedbacks, and time lags. Earth's climate system: components and interactions. Atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere and anthroposphere. Energy flows and Earth's energy budget. Greenhouse effect. Climate controls.

6. CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

Global climate governance. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol. Paris Agreement. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). IPCC Assessment Reports and their historical development. Policies at European, national and regional levels. Difference between mitigation and adaptation strategies. Overview of the main mitigation strategies. Analysis of adaptation strategies and application examples at national and regional levels. National Climate Change Adaptation Plan.

7. METHODS FOR ASSESSING CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS

Statistical methods based on the analysis of historical time series. Mann-Kendall non-parametric test. Sen's slope estimator. Global climate models. Regional climate models. Future greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects. Representative Concentration Pathways. Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. Exercise on assessing the statistical significance and slope of trends in hydrological time series. Exercise on retrieving and visualizing climate projections.

1.     Braca, G., Bussettini, M., Lastoria, B., & Mariani, S., 2013. Linee guida per l'analisi e l'elaborazione statistica di base delle serie storiche di dati idrologici. ISPRA, Manuali e Linee Guida, 84, 2013.

2.     Mariani, S., Braca, G., Romano, E., Lastoria, B., & Bussettini, M., 2018. Linee Guida sugli Indicatori di Siccità e Scarsità Idrica da utilizzare nelle attività degli Osservatori Permanenti per gli Utilizzi Idrici – Stato Attuale e Prospettive Future.

3.     Rossi, G. (Ed.), 2007. Siccità: Analisi, Monitoraggio e Mitigazione. Nuova Editoriale Bios. ISBN: 978-99-6093-027-9.

4.     Rossi, G. & Benedini, M. (Eds.), 2020. Water Resources of Italy: Protection, Use and Control. World Water Resources, Vol. 5, Springer Nature, Cham, Switzerland.

5.     Burch, S.L., & Harris, S.E., 2021. Understanding Climate Change: Science, Policy and Practice. Second edition. Toronto Press.

6.     Peres, D.J., Longo, G., Palazzolo, N., Barbagallo, S., Cancelliere, A. (Eds.), 2023. Impatto dei cambiamenti climatici sulla disponibilità e la domanda idrica. Quaderni CSEI Catania, III series, Vol. 26.

7.     Cancelliere, A., Bonaccorso, B., Peres, D.J. (Eds.), 2011. Gestione della siccità e variabilità climatica. Edibios.

8.     Additional teaching material: course notes, slides, and innovative and digital teaching tools used during lectures.

Students are required to prepare a report containing the exercises carried out during the course.

The final assessment will take into account:

·  the methodological correctness, completeness and quality of the report on the exercises;

·  the outcome of the final oral examination.

The final oral examination is aimed at assessing students' knowledge and understanding of the course contents, their ability to apply the methodologies covered during the course, their ability to establish connections among different topics, and their ability to correctly use the technical terminology of the discipline.

The final grade will be awarded according to the following criteria:

·  Fail: insufficient knowledge of fundamental topics, significant deficiencies in the ability to apply the methodologies and inadequate use of technical terminology;

·  18–21: sufficient knowledge of the main contents and basic ability to apply the methodologies covered;

·  22–25: satisfactory knowledge of the topics and ability to correctly apply the main methodologies, with satisfactory analytical skills;

·  26–28: good knowledge of the course contents, good analytical and application skills, and appropriate use of technical terminology;

·  29–30: in-depth knowledge, ability to critically integrate the different topics and independently address the problems proposed;

·  30 with honours: excellent and comprehensive knowledge, a high degree of autonomy in applying the methodologies, and excellent analytical, synthesis and communication skills.

Learning assessment may also be carried out online, should circumstances require it.

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current legislation, interested students may request a personal meeting in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on the learning objectives and their specific needs. Students may also contact the CInAP (Centre for Active and Participatory Integration – Services for Disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disorders) representative within their Department.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of topics and applications that may be covered in the assessment:

1.     Models for estimating monthly streamflow in rivers.

2.     Drought phenomena.

3.     Drought indices.

4.     Performance indices for water supply systems.

5.     Simulation of a water supply system.

6.     Difference between climate change adaptation and mitigation.

7.     Climate change adaptation plan.

8.     Trend estimation methods.

9.     Climate projections.