Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change for Water Resources Management

Abstract

The issue of climate change has received growing attention in recent years, from science to politics and mass media. It poses new challenges in water resources management, in all aspects: water scarcity, droughts, floods and landslides. Several scientific studies have been carried out to assess the potential future impacts of climate change on water resources in Italy. These studies indicate several negative impacts of global warming, with possible increases in the frequency and severity of almost all water-related hazards, though there are significant uncertainties in the climate projections on which the assessments are based. In recent years, Italy has provided itself of a series of documents that define the strategies for adaptation to climate change, culminating in the Italian Climate Change Adaptation Plan. This document provides detailed guidelines on how to face the new challenges posed by climate change, with important implications for water-related sectors. With reference to these sectors, the studies indicated, in general, the need of more investments on management strategies, nonstructural measures, blue-green infrastructures and awareness-raising. The chapter aims at reviewing, with respect to Italy, the main features of climate change, the related impacts on water resources and the main documents and guidelines that define the adaptation strategies and lines of action to contrast such impacts.