Informations
Solution ID
Description of solution
The Serchio River Basin is defined as a basin of national interest according to Italian law. It has been identified as a ‘river basin district’ for implementing the EU’s Water Framework Directive. The unique combination of challenges that are present includes extreme drought and flooding, seismic risk as well as water pollution.
The “Autorita di Bacino Distrettuale dell’Appennino Settentrionale” is the authority that leads efforts to address these risks in a portion of the river basin, Massaciuccoli Lake, through the design and implementation of diversion channel which has been funded by the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea. The main problem to solve with the implemented NBS measures is the runoff of soil and pollutants from the farmland to irrigation canals and from there to the nearby Lake Massaciuccoli on the Tuscan coast.
Through the H2020 project PHUSICOS sedimentation basin have been implemented to prevent runoff of soil and pollutants from farmlands.
The basin is designed by the Reclamation Consortium Authority with the support of ADBS and external collaborators.
The basin is 160 m wide, 250 m long and has an average depth of 1 m. For the filling and emptying phases, a threshold was created equipped with clapet valves arranged on three pipes each with a diameter of 800 mm. The threshold is protected by a wooden palisade.
The basin is vegetated with water plants of Phragmites australis and Thypha latifolia selected for optimal uptake of pollutants (nutrients and pesticides).
The "Autorita di Bacino Distrettuale dell’Appennino Settentrionale" has collaborated with stakeholders (local farmers and other organizations) to implement these NBSs, including the maintenance and monitoring plans, and explore planning strategies with the overall goal of developing an ecosystem-based management approach for hydrogeological risk reduction in the whole area of the Massaciuccoli Lake.
Co-benefits:
- reduce runoff of pollutants from the farmland
- a cleaner lake
- well-being for inhabitants and for tourists, as this is an important tourist area
- carbon storage with increased vegetation, which is not harvested
- boosting local green economy
- creating increased cooperation, enthusiasm, and sense of ‘ownership’ among stakeholders (farmers)
Living Labs helped increasing cooperation, enthusiasm, and sense of ‘ownership’ among stakeholders (farmers)
Keywords
Exposition
Actors
- The buffer strips have been implemented through the H2020 project PHUSICOS .
- The “Autorita di Bacino Distrettuale dell’Appennino Settentrionale” (ADBS) is the authority that leads efforts to address these risks.
- The basin is designed by the Reclamation Consortium Authority with the support of ADBS and external collaborators.
Temporal aspects
Others
https://phusicos.eu/case_study/serchio-river-basin-italy/