Adaptation through integrated fire management
Description Climate change projections (EEA-Indicator Assessment on Forest Fire, 2019) suggest substantial warming and increases in the number of heat waves and droughts across most of the Mediterranean area and more generally in southern Europe. These changes would prolong the duration and worsen the severity of the fire season, further increase the risk areas and […]
Measures to reduce urban runoff
Description Extreme precipitation events are the climatic drivers of urban runoff and urban flooding, and are expected to increase in the future due to climate change. Urban runoff does not only depend on the intensity of rainfall events but also on the degree of soil permeability. In the natural environments the meteoric waters are washed […]
Water sensitive urban and building design
Description Changing climate in the Adriatic region coupled with ever increasing coastal urbanization results in the increase of water related ecological issues. Urban areas are characterized by high levels of surface sealing in the form of buildings and other impermeable surfaces such as streets, sidewalks and parking lots. As water is unable to infiltrate the […]
Green roofs
Description Green roofs are multi-layered extensions of a building roof, partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a drainage layer. Green roofs serve several purposes for a building and the surrounding environment. Primarily, they slow down storm-water runoff by increasing evapotranspiration that also decreases the air temperature. There are two […]
Improved water retention and irrigation efficiency in agricultural areas
Description Soil moisture is the component of the water cycle that is accessible by the roots of plants and the quantity of water available is a major steering factor for plant growth. Soil moisture content is a factor of rainfall, evapotranspiration, surface run-off and deep percolation, and is therefore sensitive to changes in temperature and […]
Water uses to cope with heat waves in cities
Description The number of extreme heat events has substantially increased across Europe in recent decades, and the length, frequency and intensity of heat waves is projected to increase in the future. They are associated with decreases in general population well-being and increases in mortality and morbidity, especially in vulnerable population groups, unless adaptation measures are […]
Rehabilitation and restoration of rivers
DESCRIPTION Rivers and their floodplains are subject to many human uses that can alter their hydrology, morphology and connectivity. Many European rivers and floodplains have been significantly modified over the past decades, for example by straightening the river course to allow navigation, draining floodplains to gain agricultural land or to allow for urban development, building […]