ROMA (ITALPRESS) – The theme of the growing water difficulty affecting the smaller Italian islands, territories particularly exposed to the effects of climate change and structural criticality in the supply of resources was at the center of the event “Resisting Islands: the challenge of water” promoted jointly by the Department of Earth System Sciences and Technologies for Environment of the Cnr (Cnr-Dss Maretta) and by the Ministry of Civil Protection A moment of comparison between institutions, research system, universities, technical bodies and local representatives.
“The Italian minor islands represent an extraordinary environmental and biodiversity heritage: their protection requires an integrated approach, capable of enhancing scientific knowledge and supporting and supporting local communities through new socio-ecological models and sustainable resource management strategies,” said the Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies, Nello Musumeci.
“Reinforcing the actions of contrast to the water crisis means promoting innovative solutions for the supply and efficient use of the water resource: in this complex governance, therefore, emerges the strategic role of the scientific community to act in the protection of these fragile ecosystems, supporting administrations and decision makers.”.
A contribution also highlighted by the President of the National Research Council, Andrea Lenzi: “I thank Minister Musumeci for the strong attention placed immediately on the theme of the smaller islands, places where the effects of climate change take even greater evidence: the CNR, thanks to its own networks of observation and monitoring, is able to provide data, tools and knowledge to transform the specificities of these territories into innovative models of health and resilience for a better planning.
In this direction the Observatory Sustainable Islands, promoted by the Cnr-Dstta directed by Francesco Petracchini: a tool through which to tell how much is happening in the smaller Italian islands in the fields of energy, water, waste, mobility, stimulating exchanges of experiences and encouraging the acceleration of sustainable transition.
In this context, the role of smaller islands as complex systems has been deepened, in which water scarcity is intertwined with socio-economic dynamics, tourist pressure and environmental fragility. The resilience of the island territories therefore passes through environmental policies and climate adaptation, risk management related to drought and emergencies, infrastructure interventions and integrated planning strategies.
Concrete experiences of research and innovation contribution have been illustrated in the development of sustainable solutions for the efficient production, treatment and use of water resources, including advanced technologies for purification and desalination.
Among these, the membrane processes for the desalination of sea water on which the Cnr-Itm is active; the use of innovative materials such as hollow fiber membranes with enhanced capacity for water purification from emerging contaminants such as heavy metals and PFAS, developed by the Cnr-Isof in collaboration with private partners, and the “bioristor”, a system of sensors integrated with AIme technologies designed by Cnr-Isof.
-Photos press office Cnr-
(ITALPRESS).
