Climate change and mountains: impacts on water resources availability and managementres

Description:

The cryosphere - frozen water in all its forms, from snow, to glaciers and permafrost, up to the polar ice caps - is severely reducing on a global scale due to anthropogenic climate change. Nearly a third of the world's population depends on the mountain cryosphere for irrigation, drinking water and industry. In this context, mountains are recognized as extremely vulnerable physical environments, where the impacts of climate change are particularly evident, and will be increasingly so in the future. For example, atmospheric temperatures are rising rapidly at high altitudes, with some areas warming much faster than the global average. As a consequence, mountain glaciers are melting and disappearing rapidly, the thickness and duration of the snow cover are significantly reducing, with significant consequences on the availability of water resources both in the mountains and in the downstream areas that depend on it. Therefore, as part of NODES - Spoke 4, it was deemed appropriate to organize a specific training course dedicated to these topics, aimed at those who, in various capacities, are involved in the management, protection and valorisation of mountain water resources.

The course will focus on various aspects such as the definition of the general concept of climate change in the mountains, the monitoring of hydrometeorological parameters in remote high altitude environments, the quantification of the impacts of climate change on the quantity and quality of water coming from mountain areas ( especially that deriving from the cryosphere) and the introduction to water management strategies, focusing on the hydroelectric, drinking water and tourism sectors. A daily excursion to Alagna Valsesia and Passo dei Salati (Monte Rosa massif) will allow participants to discover several examples of hydrometeorological monitoring at high altitude and management of mountain water resources.

At the end of the course, participants will have developed a good understanding of the impacts of climate change on water resources, monitoring methods and possible water management strategies in mountain environments.