Globalization and the extermination of the territory are inflicting a hard lesson on humanity with the pandemic, but equally alarming and no less harsh are the consequences of climate change. Beyond the causes (on which we can discuss) the effects are there for all to see, especially in the city where the waterproofing of the territory, i.e. too much cement, makes it difficult to adapt to the climate and where heat waves and bombs of rain occur more and more frequently creating problems at 360 degrees. Among others, one of the most precious primary goods pays the price: water. And it is above all to this clear and fresh source of life that i is dedicatedthe first Italian chapter of “Adaptation”, web doc which tells stories of constructive journalism highlighting the good practices implemented by the communities.
Adapting what we do to a constantly changing world is the way to survive and the one that will guarantee us high standards and sustainable development. Europe is at the forefront of this battle and even the world of finance is carefully assessing climate risk. But what are the best practices to apply? Adaptation, interactive documentary, designed to be surfed on the web, useful for schools and the result of the work of long-time science journalists such as Marco Merola and Lorenzo Colantoni, provides some answers. The work therefore looks at climate change with an innovative approach: adaptation to disruption.
For this edition, which comes after the one on Holland, the focus has shifted to Italy and, in the first place, to Emilia-Romagna. The presentation of the work took place in the headquarters of Hera, multi-utility among the protagonists of the documentary. Despite the recent flooding of the Panaro and the consequent serious damages to the territories of the Modena area and their inhabitants, Emilia-Romagna is at work on the theme of water for years and in 2018 it launched its adaptation plan. In this webdoc, the authors show innovative and efficient practices and projects by the CNR, the Renana Reclamation Consortium, the Po River District Basin Authority, the Montale Ecovillage, the Romagna Reclamation Consortium, the Hera Group, which has opened the doors of its plants and shown frontier technologies. The multi-utility contributes with investments of over 100 million euros per year to the conservation of the resource and the safety of the places in which it operates.
To understand what risks we run, suffice it to say that the terrible 2020 has brought the worst drought ever in 60 years. This means that there is less water to drink, but also less water for agriculture, which alone consumes 70% of all available fresh resources. In the last 20 years, drought has caused damage to Italian agriculture for over 15 billion euros. To deal with this impoverishment we need to get to use the same water several times today in Italy a drop of water is used only once, unlike Texas or Singapore where it is used 10 times. The goal, according to Hera, is to get to use it at least twice.
Among the challenges of the third millennium there is also that of wastewater recirculation, to help agriculture and industry to pursue the path of sustainability. In this direction, the multi-utility is carrying out a fundamental work by treating waste water in purifiers according to different techniques and technologies, biological and mechanical, so that it can be returned to the environment in a form compatible with further human uses, but also with ecosystems and their biodiversity , thus pursuing full circularity in resource management. Finally, an example of protection of the territory and its economy, focused on by Adaptation, is the Rimini Seaside Protection Plan, the largest sewage remediation project carried out in Italy in the last twenty years. Objective: to eliminate spills into the sea and thus protect the environment and its marked tourist vocation at the same time. Since it came into use, despite the intensification of extraordinary atmospheric phenomena, the beach has always been usable.
