Il ciclo dell’acqua: disponibilità e impieghi

In recent years water has become an increasingly important resource, not only because of the increase in applications connected with it but also because it is an important indicator of the improvement of the quality of life. Consequently only a proper understanding of the water cycle, and in particular of the distribution and availability of water resources over space and time and the imperatives arising from man-made change, will enable us to evaluate their sustainability and manage them properly with a view to the sustainable development of human activities. The water cycle is described as the process governing the distribution of water in its various states re in every phase (gaseous, liquid and solid), around the earth and over the time. The global water distribution, the water cycle annual balance, and the estimated residence times of world water resources are shown. The water as the essential factor governing human activities and development is described with some historical examples. The various uses of water domestic and civil, Industrial, agriculture, energy, amenity and recreational and aquatic wild life in Italy are illustrated and quantified. A chapter is dedicated to water and energy and in particular to hydroelectric power and low-enthalpy geothermal energy. Water uses In Lombardy region as an economic opportunity and related consumption are described. The problems and the impact of climatic change on water uses in the Po plain are presented. Groundwater as a hidden resources to protect is described with an example in the Milan area. New tecniques which permit to evaluate the amount of groundwater and their variations are illustrated: in particular 3D reconstruction of the texture distribution of the subsoil and application of hydrogeological model of 3D flow model. According to these application and coupling models it will be possible, in the future, simulate the effects of critical situations related to groundwater.