HYDRO-ISLAND (Pianosa Island: hydrological processes and water resources sustainability in a climate-changing Mediterranean)
The project is the result of a collaboration between IGG, the scientific leader, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park (PNAT), the project promoter as the contact person for the UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve “Isole di Toscana”, the University of Siena – Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences (DSFTA-UniSi), the University of Pisa – Department of Earth Sciences (DST-UniPi), the Geological and Archaeological Museum of Pianosa (GASP Museum) and Turismo Sostenibile srl. The Tuscan Water Authority (AIT) has also expressed its interest in the project as a stakeholder.
HYDRO-ISLAND will develop over approximately one year, starting in October 2022, and will focus on the impacts of climate change on the water resources of small islands and their ecosystems. Pianosa will serve as a pilot area, thanks also to the availability of data produced by the hydrological-hydrogeological monitoring networks established and supported by the CNR Pianosa Research Base (BRP-CNR), with the participation of other project partners. The island of Pianosa, with its hydrological characteristics and its unique ecosystem, can truly serve as a reference site in the Mediterranean Basin for defining the aspects of vulnerability, but also of resilience, that island water systems exhibit in a climate change scenario.
HYDRO-ISLAND adopts a multidisciplinary approach—geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, geochemical-isotopic, geophysical, and remote sensing-smart technology—to better understand and quantify the processes affecting water availability. This approach shares data and knowledge with the scientific community and the local community, providing the basis for potential solutions for the sustainability of Pianosa Island. The project also includes guided tours, aimed at sharing the results of the research conducted with students from the archipelago and, more generally, with all interested parties.