Our strategy for responsible and effective water management

Water availability refers to the volumetric abundance or lack of water in a basin. It can be related to water scarcity, typically calculated as the ratio between human water consumption and the water supply available in each area.

Measurement of the suitability of water for a particular use based on specific physical, chemical, and biological characteristics.

Every individual has the right to water and sanitation services that are physically accessible within or in the immediate vicinity of their home, school, workplace or health institution.

The research focuses on optimising the use of water resources in agriculture, paying particular attention to reducing irrigation water usage. This is achieved by taking an integrated approach that combines agronomic, biotechnological-genetic and engineering methods, all of which are based on the concept of 'water-saving agriculture'. In particular, the research aims to improve the efficiency with which plants absorb water by studying the role of beneficial microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi that are naturally associated with the root system, and by screening and selecting plant genotypes that are more tolerant of abiotic stresses. The latter activity is carried out using digital platforms for high-capacity field phenotyping and precision agriculture. These platforms are automated and innovative, and allow the physiological responses of crops to be monitored with high accuracy under stress conditions. Field campaigns were carried out in which the selected crops were subjected to reduced irrigation compared to their theoretical needs in order to simulate water shortage scenarios. The physiological and agronomic responses of the different genotypes are analysed periodically to evaluate the impact of water restriction. Additionally, the microbial consortia naturally present in the soil and rhizobium were characterised to identify microbial strains with potential biostimulant properties (PGPR) for subsequent agronomic applications. These analyses are performed on samples collected in the field and examined in the laboratory using advanced microbiological and molecular biological methodologies. Since the project began, four test campaigns have been carried out, two of which involved oil crops. The results will help to define optimal water resource management practices.  

Our work focuses on developing new technologies for treating civil and agro-industrial wastewater, with the ultimate goal of reusing the treated water for agricultural purposes (experimentally). Recovering and improving the large volumes of water discharged from sewage treatment plants could help to mitigate the recurrent water crises affecting the agricultural sector. Reusing this water would also generate a favourable CO₂ equivalent emission balance and, depending on the technologies used, could contribute to carbon sequestration in the soil. Furthermore, wastewater is often the most readily available resource in many arid areas, with consistent flow rates throughout the year and limited alternative uses. The project involved creating innovative prototypes for treating civil wastewater with the aim of reusing the treated water in irrigated agricultural areas. These prototypes are operational at the sewage treatment plant in Ferrandina, alongside the one built by the School of Engineering at the University of Basilicata (a Hypatia d'Alessandria Centre partner). Future activities will consist of managing the experimental plants and conducting effluent quality monitoring campaigns. The treated water will be used to irrigate oil crops in experimental fields, and the effects of this will be compared to the effects of spring water irrigation.

Our work focuses on optimising coastal groundwater management to mitigate the risk of salt-water intrusion. This process gradually leads to salinisation of the groundwater and a reduction in the available volume of fresh groundwater, as well as increasing the risk of subsidence. The project involves creating numerical models of coastal aquifers to simulate their behaviour in response to varying environmental conditions and outflow rates, primarily for irrigation purposes. Our main objective is to create a groundwater resource management tool that facilitates its proper use while mitigating risks. The study area is the north-eastern section of the Metaponto plain. The modelling is integrated with the results obtained through sampling campaigns carried out in this area.