Project for adaptation to climate change in the Municipality of Cervia.
Brief
Provide technical and scientific support to the Municipality of Cervia for the design and implementation of climate change adaptation actions. The latter is part of the ADRIADAPT project: A resilience information platform for Adriatic cities and towns under the ITALY-CROATIA INTERREG programme
Project challenge
to identify possible adaptation strategies for a coastal and extremely heterogeneous territory, characterised by three individual interconnected environments (salt marsh, pine forest and sea) and subject to major climatic hazards such as sea level rise, intense rainfall and heat waves.
Solution
in line with the results of the climate change vulnerability analysis carried out for the Municipality of Cervia’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP), vertical investigations were conducted on the following issues:
- urban heat islands;
- coastal erosion;
- salinisation of groundwater.
Execution phases
Mesoclimatic analysis: climatic mapping of the territory through the installation of 6 temporary measuring stations and 1 permanent station, located according to a specific spatial rationale for the Municipality of Cervia.
Microclimatic analysis: mobile measurements using a “microclimometer”, an innovative instrument developed by the Laboratoire, Energie, Environnement, Architecture (LEEA) of the Haute École du Paysage, d’Ingénierie et d’Architecture (HEPIA) in Geneva, aimed at outlining the urban climate signature, i.e. the climatic profile and perceived well-being at “pedestrian level”.
Installation of a piezometer for hydrogeological monitoring of salt wedge intrusion, and a campaign of periodic monitoring by immersion of a multi-parameter probe.
Feasibility analysis for the reconstitution of the natural dune belt in the stretch in front of the former Colonia Varese, in order to increase coastal resilience to erosive phenomena exacerbated by the high level of anthropization of the Cervia coastline.
Update and revision of Municipality of Cervia’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP).
Aggiornamento e revisione del PAESC del Comune di Cervia.
Achieved results
- The main points of perceived climatic stress in various areas of the city were identified and analysed in relation to the corresponding urban, material and vegetation features, with a view to planning targeted adaptation measures to improve the overall comfort level for users of the urban space.
- Heat wave vulnerability throughout the territory were determined by identifying their respective “heat signatures”.
- Groundwater salinisation trends were mapped.
- A pilot design was drafted for the reconstruction of a natural dune system.