Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna - Pisa (Italy) 10^thSeptember 2018

Workshop presentation

The EU LIFE REWAT project (sustainable WATer management in the lower Cornia valley through demand REduction, aquiferREcharge and riverREstoration; https://www.liferewat.eu), co-financed by the EU, takes place in the coastal Cornia River plain (Tuscany, Italy). There, the aquifer system provides the only source of water for drinking, irrigation, industrial purposes and it also contributes to the water needs of the nearby Elba island. Intensive exploitation of ground water resulted in consistent water balance deficit, causing subsidence, reduction of groundwater dependent ecosystems, and salinization of fresh water resources.

Making sustainable the use of the water resource is the main objective of the project.

This is achieved by means of innovative concepts such ast hose of water-related agroecosystem services and nature-based solutions and massive use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT; sensors and software). Five demonstration measures (river restoration; Managed Aquifer Recharge; reuse of treated waste water for irrigation; high-efficiency irrigation scheme; leakage management in water distribution systems) are set in place for promoting water resource management, along with capacity building and participatory actions. ICT tools are widely used to manage and to monitor the impact of such actions on the ground water resource.

To address these issues, the 1^st LIFE REWAT International Workshop “Digital water and nature based solutions: innovative tools for sustainable water management ”will present the views of relevant keynote speakers on how nature-based solutions for water may help to decrease water-related natural hazards in terms of increasing resilience to drought, floods, ameliorating water quality, and adapting to climate change.

The workshop will start with presentations providing an overview on the concepts of nature-based solutions for water, their use and diffusion at global scale for different purposes. The topic of using non-conventional water resources will also be dealt. Showcase of EU co-financed projects (from the LIFE and the HORIZON 2020 programmes) will help in demonstrating the use of these solutions in real applications. ICT applications for the management of green/blue infrastructures will also be presented and the possibility for opening a digital market for water services discussed.

In the afternoon, in the two-hours Round Table “From pilot demo-sites/applications to large scale transferability: how to move innovations to the water market ”, speakers from the morning session as well as representatives from relevant companies/institutions will discuss the role of innovation in the water market and leverages and actions to spread sustainable water management practices to the real world. Attendees will have the possibility to share their views, comments and pose questions to the speakers both during the presentations, the morning session discussion, and the afternoon Round Table.

The workshop is co-organised within the context of the European Innovation Partnerships on Water (EIP WATER; www.eip-water.eu) – Action Groups “Managed Aquifer Recharge Strategies and Actions ” and the ICT4WATER cluster initiative (www.ict4water.eu).

Participation is free. Registration is mandatory (see the leaflet cover for registering).

There are only 80 seats left. The official language of the International Workshop is English – translation in Italian via headphones will be available.

On September 11th a field trip to the innovative pilot sites (Managed Aquifer Recharge scheme, river restoration works, and the high-efficiency irrigation scheme) is foreseen. Participation is free, limited seats are available on a bus- for which registration is mandatory.

The provisional workshop agenda is available here: DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAMME

Participation free – registration mandatory

To register, please send an e mail to Simone Maria Piacentini (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), providing the following info:

- Name

- Surname

- e-mail

- Institution

- Type of Institution (university/research, water utility, river basin authority, governmental authority, enterprise, freelance).