The management of water resources between traditions and sustainability: the qanats of Shahrood Province (North-eastern Iran)

Qanats, Iran, multidisciplinary study, water supply

Aménagement rural et gestion des ressources en eau dans la plaine du Fucino (massif des Abruzzes, Italie)

Nel 1875, con il drenaggio totale delle acque del lago Fucino e l’inizio delle attività di bonifica idraulica, l’ampia superficie derivata dall’originario alveo lacustre viene destinata, come da progetto, ad una intensiva attività agricola. La riforma, attuata nel 1951 dopo l’esproprio dell’intero possedimento Torlonia, comporterà la ricomposizione fondiaria delle originarie 29.000 particelle esistenti, su una superficie di 11.050 ha. Vennero così create  più 9.000 particelle ed assegnate, nella maggior parte dei casi, ad ex-affittuari che già coltivano quelle terre. Se gli effetti positivi della riforma non hanno tardato a manifestarsi, con un notevole aumento del reddito netto, ad esempio, bisogna comunque rilevare che, secondo le più recenti tendenze, l’interesse dei coltivatori si è sempre più spostato, verso colture orticole più redditizie quali la carota, le insalate, il radicchio, il finocchio, il sedano ed altre. A questa soluzione concorrono circostanze favorevoli quali la resa unitaria molto elevata, l’abbondanza di mano d’opera a basso costo e di provenienza extra-comunitaria, la meccanizzazione delle pratiche colturali, l’aumentata capacità imprenditoriale degli agricoltori e la possibilità di ripetere due/tre cicli colturali sullo stesso terreno. Questa tendenza ha comportato due grossi problemi di natura ambientale con l’impiego massivo di pesticidi e fertilizzanti e una richiesta idrica che supera di gran lunga la disponibilità naturale. Le ultime indagini, rapportando il ciclo colturale degli ortaggi con l’utilizzo di alcuni pozzi hanno infatti evidenziato il preoccupante impatto dei prelievi irrigui sulle falde regionali, in termini di abbassamenti piezometrici

Runoff drainage, groundwater exploitation and irrigation with underground channels in Cappadocia: Meskendir Valley case-study

Cappadocia is characterized by a particular plateau geomorphology, with a mean altitude of about 1000 m above sea level, and is composed of several pyroclastic ignimbrite deposits. Its climate has both continental and sub-desertic elements, with rainy and even snowy precipitation, which is intense in Winter and Spring and scarce in Summer. Strong geomorphological activity in the soft ignimbrite context gave rise to a unique landscape, which is defined by branched and deeply-incised valley systems and by the well-known pinnacles or "Fairy Chimneys". The human settlements in this area are principally due to the Christians and, at a later stage, to the Byzantines: their activity marked the entire area and produced an outstanding system of underground settlements. In addition to residential structures, various types of service structures are still visible. Among the latter, mention should be made of those connected with water utilization. Both geology and climate made it imperative to optimize the use of water resources, with a view to enabling the development of minimal farming activities on the terraces of the valley bottoms and the related conservation of a minimal vegetational-faunal environment in a pre-desertic area. Two different types of water works can be identified: center dot Shallow drainage channels, consisting of underground tunnels dug into the ignimbrites; these tunnels, which run parallel to the valleys, ensured the fast discharge of meteoric waters, thereby avoiding erosion of the valley slopes, but above all of the valley bottoms, where agricultural crops were and still are concentrated. center dot Groundwater drainage tunnels, exploiting the small local perched aquifers. A drainage tunnel perpendicular to the axis of the valley can be observed. The tunnel, which intercepts the aquifer, is blocked at its outlet so as to create a cistern. Here, spring waters are stored to be used especially for irrigation. These cisterns might also favor condensation during the night. The simultaneous presence of these multi-purpose water works, a unique case in the pre-industrial era, testifies to a deep understanding of hydrological cycles by the ancient inhabitants of Cappadocia, as well as the close linkage between human activities, land and water resources. (c) 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved

Development, management and economy of show caves

The problems concerning the development of show caves are here considered by taking into account different aspects of the problem. A procedure to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been established in the last decade and it is now currently applied. Such an assessment starts with a pre-operational phase to obtain sufficient information on the undisturbed status of a cave to be developed into a show cave. Successively a programme for its development is established with the scope to optimise the intervention on the cave at the condition that its basic environmental parameters are not irreversibly modified. The last phase of the assessment is focussed to assure a feedback through a monitoring network in order to detect any unforeseen difference or anomaly between the project and the effective situation achieved after the cave development. Some data on some of the most important show caves in the world are reported and a tentative evaluation of the economy in connection with the show caves business is eventually made

Development, management and economy of show caves.

The problems concerning the development of show caves are here considered by taking into account different aspects of the problem. A procedure to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been established in the last decade and it is now currently applied. Such an assessment starts with a pre-operational phase to obtain sufficient information on the undisturbed status of a cave to be developed into a show cave. Successively a programme for its development is established with the scope to optimise the intervention on the cave at the condition that its basic environmental parameters are not irreversibly modified. The last phase of the assessment is focussed to assure a feedback through a monitoring network in order to detect any unforeseen difference or anomaly between the project and the effective situation achieved after the cave development. Some data on some of the most important show caves in the world are reported and a tentative evaluation of the economy in connection with the show caves business is eventually made

Development, management and economy of show caves

The problems concerning the development of show caves are here considered by taking into account different aspects of the problem. A procedure to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been established in the last decade and it is now currently applied. Such an assessment starts with a pre-operational phase to obtain sufficient information on the undisturbed status of a cave to be developed into a show cave. Successively a programme for its development is established with the scope to optimise the intervention on the cave at the condition that its basic environmental parameters are not irreversibly modified. The last phase of the assessment is focussed to assure a feedback through a monitoring network in order to detect any unforeseen difference or anomaly between the project and the effective situation achieved after the cave development. Some data on some of the most important show caves in the world are reported and a tentative evaluation of the economy in connection with the show caves business is eventually made

Development, management and economy of show caves

The problems concerning the development of show caves are here considered by taking into account different aspects of the problem. A procedure to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been established in the last decade and it is now currently applied. Such an assessment starts with a pre-operational phase to obtain sufficient information on the undisturbed status of a cave to be developed into a show cave. Successively a programme for its development is established with the scope to optimise the intervention on the cave at the condition that its basic environmental parameters are not irreversibly modified. The last phase of the assessment is focussed to assure a feedback through a monitoring network in order to detect any unforeseen difference or anomaly between the project and the effective situation achieved after the cave development. Some data on some of the most important show caves in the world are reported and a tentative evaluation of the economy in connection with the show caves business is eventually made

Identification de formes karstiques de surface sur une représentation cartographique du Gran Sasso d'Italia du XVIe siècle (Abruzzes, Italie centrale)

Una rappresentazione cartografica dei fenomeni carsici s vperficiali del Gran Sasso d'Italia (Abruzzo, Italia centrale ) nel XVI secolo. Nell'agosto del 1573 Francesco De Marchi compiva la prima ascensione sul Corno Grande, la cima maggiore del Gran Sasso d'Italia il più elevato massiccio carbonatico delVAppennino ubicato nelVItalia centrale. Di questa sua esplorazione ci ha lasciato una dettagliata relazione che venne pubblicata, alcuni decenni più tardi, nel 1599. A questa relazione era unita una cartografia nella quale sono stati evidenziati alcuni fenomeni carsici superficiali, ed in particolare alcuni laghetti carsici. Nella stessa relazione vi sono moite indicazioni sulla struttura morfologica delV ampio polje di Campo Imperatore. Infine è anche descritta , anche con notevoli dettagli di interesse scientifico, l'esplorazione délia Grotta a Maie che è una dette principali grotte di tutta l'area.En août 1573, Francesco De Marchi accomplit la première ascension du Corno Grande, point haut du Gran Sasso d'Italia, qui est le massif calcaire le plus élevé des Apennins. De cette exploration, il laissa une relation fort détaillée qui fut publiée à titre posthume en 1599. A ce récit était jointe une carte sur laquelle sont figurées de façon très nette un certain nombre de formes karstiques de surface, et en particulier quelques petits lacs karstiques. Cette relation contient également de nombreuses indications sur la morphologie du vaste poljé de Campo Imperatore. Dans la foulée, De Marchi associa à cette ascension l'exploration de la Grotta a Maie, l'une des principales cavités de la région, et en donna une description du plus haut intérêt scientifique.Burri Ezio, Chardon Michel, Nicod Jean. Identification de formes karstiques de surface sur une représentation cartographique du Gran Sasso d'Italia du XVIe siècle (Abruzzes, Italie centrale). In: Karstologia : revue de karstologie et de spéléologie physique, n°40, 2e semestre 2002. 20 ans de karstologie. Karst et carrières souterraines dans le Barrois. pp. 51-54

Agriculture, landscape and human impact in some karst areas of Italy

Italy is made up for about 1/5 of its surface by soluble rocks, which represent the arena of karst environments. The karst morpho-units, some hundreds, are mainly distributed inside the alpine structure of the Mediterranean mountains. A very large number of rock formations are present, different in facies, lithology, age, etc. Among these, carbonate rocks prevail, followed by gypsum and salt. Most of the carbonate rocks are limestones sedimented in a platform environment and they show a wide range of porosity, frequency of fractures and bedding planes. The climatic processes, the expression of some different sub-types of Mediterranean climate (from the typical Mediterranean to sub-atlantic and sub-continental varieties), are the main control of the recent morphodynamics inside the karst morpho-units. In some areas the variability of precipitation is very high. The soil-water deficit during summer, together with the steep slopes, makes these environments highly vulnerable to human impact, especially in relation to soil use for grazing and agriculture. The soils, with enriched mineral contents from the fall of loess-like sediments or of volcanic ashes, were surely very appealing to the first farmers