From October 3rd to 5th, 2022, in Syracuse, Sicily, Italy, the event “NAWAMED: Mediterranean Green toward Climate Change, Adaptation and Circular Water Management” event, held in Syracuse took place.
During this event, Professor Giuseppe Cirelli, Professor Feliciana Licciardello, and Dr. Liviana Sciuto from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) presented a significant talk regarding the GIFLUID project in the cross-border territories of Malta and Sicily. The presentation, titled “Green Infrastructures to Mitigate Flood Risks in Urban and Sub-Urban Areas and to Improve the Quality of Rainwater Discharges – GIFLUID”, focused on green infrastructures as a solution to mitigate flood risks in urban and suburban areas and to enhance the quality of rainwater discharges.
The rise in rainfall intensity and the increasing soil sealing due to urbanization have highlighted the urgent need for innovative water management strategies. Urban Green Infrastructures and Natural Water Retention Measures have proven to be promising solutions, capable of integrating with traditional “grey” infrastructures, providing effective responses to current and future hydrological challenges, and conforming to the new paradigm of the “Sponge City”. These strategies, thoroughly discussed in volume 17 of the CSEI “notebook”, available online on the CSEI CATANIA website under the title “GREEN INFRASTRUCTURES FOR WATER MANAGEMENT: CRITERIA AND CASE STUDIES” (available here), delve into technical sheets for interventions aimed at improving water quality and reducing runoff in urban and suburban contexts through green infrastructures. This outlines a sustainable and resilient path for the adaptation and management of water resources in urban and suburban settings, emphasizing the importance of an integrated and multifunctional approach.
