Project partners

Find out more about SubRISK+ research units and stakeholders

Link

Publications

Access SubRISK+ deliverables and publications

Link

Control room

A web portal enabling open access to SubRISK+ risk and impact products

... coming soon, stay tuned!

Groundwater exploitation and land subsidence in Italy

Groundwater plays a key role in addressing water needs in Italy, with with a total of >10 kmĀ³/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 aquifers are over-exploited, outputs (withdrawal and natural discharge) exceed recharge, water resources deplete, the system loses storage and its confining clay beds compact. 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.

SubRISK+ high-level goals

1) To enhance our understanding of subsidence and its impact

2) To empower the community to recognize the human-related behavioral, socio-economic and demographic drivers of this geohazard and its cascading effects on urban environments and ecosystems

3) To strengthen our ability to use consciously natural resources to make a step-change towards sustainable development

Find out more about SubRISK+ scientific goals