SubRISK+

Groundwater plays a key role in addressing water needs in Italy, with a total of >10 km³/year water pumped from shallow and deep aquifers, for agricultural (67%), domestic (23%) and industrial (10%) use. Italian major cities including Rome, Milan, Turin and Perugia have recorded the greatest groundwater uses over the last decade [ref: UNESCO 2022].

When unconsolidated aquifer systems are over-exploited, outputs (i.e. withdrawal and natural discharge) exceed recharge, water resources deplete, the system porosity reduces with a loss of storage and its compaction. The induced land subsidence causes direct/indirect impacts on urban landscapes and economic loss, yet these are often overlooked, and so are considerations on how climate change, population and urban growth may further exacerbate them.