Drought from climate change threatens Italy's Valle dei Laghi, impacting its vital hydropower and wine production. Learn how a digital twin helps manage water scarcity.
In the northern Italian region of Valle dei Laghi, known as the “Valley of Lakes,” water has long been essential for survival and energy. Streams flowing from the nearby Alps provide water to vineyards, farms, and hydroelectric power plants that supply electricity to the area. However, climate change is now disrupting this delicate balance.
About 15% of Italy’s energy comes from nearly 5,000 hydroelectric power plants. One of them, the Santa Massenza plant, produces enough power to meet the needs of the entire Trentino province. But as temperatures rise and rainfall becomes more unpredictable, water levels are falling, putting both electricity generation and local farming at risk.
Drought, disease, and falling grape yields are becoming major issues in Trentino. Agriculture is the second-largest user of freshwater in the region after hydropower. Trentino is famous for its vineyards, which produce some of Italy’s finest wines. Yet recent dry years have made farming more difficult.
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The year 2023 was particularly challenging. A hot summer, heavy hailstorms, and outbreaks of fungal diseases caused a 13% drop in Italy’s grape production compared to the previous year. Even traditional and eco-friendly practices are struggling to keep up with climate change.
Managing Every Drop
Water in Trentino is managed through several irrigation consortia, groups of farmers working together to share and distribute water fairly. One organization, the Alto Garda Irrigation Consortium, manages 1,400 hectares of farmland and uses about seven million cubic metres of water each irrigation season.
Bruno Lutterotti, who leads the consortium, explained, “Already, for over 20 years, we have chosen drip irrigation as our irrigation system because we draw water from a hydroelectric system.”
Drip irrigation delivers water directly to the roots of plants, reducing waste. However, this system is now under strain. Several dry years have reduced hydropower production by 30% between 2019 and 2023, lowering Italy’s overall renewable energy output. The same droughts also severely impacted vineyards, causing Italy to temporarily lose its title as the world’s largest wine producer.
Lutterotti said the crisis convinced the consortium to rethink its water management strategies. They are now collaborating with scientists from the EU research project IMPETUS to develop a more resilient system.
A Digital Tool for the Future
A digital tool is being created to help local leaders and farmers prepare for the future.
Valentina D’Alonzo from the Eurac Research Institute explained, “The tool that we are developing within the demo site of the IMPETUS project is a 'decision support system.”
Through a web-based platform, users can view historical data, check weather forecasts, and see what might happen if no action is taken. The tool also allows simulations that consider changing weather conditions, dam operations, and water usage. This helps communities prepare for different outcomes.
A key part of this system is a “digital twin” of the valley, developed by project partner Waterjade. This virtual model shows how water moves through the region, from snowmelt in the mountains to soil moisture and river flow. Using real weather data, including temperature and rainfall, it predicts how water resources might change in the future.
Insights from these models can guide practical actions, such as repairing old water pipes, using new technology to find leaks, protecting wetlands to store more water, and involving residents in understanding and responding to the challenges.
From historic hydropower plants to modern drip irrigation, Valle dei Laghi has always found innovative ways to manage its water. But with the climate becoming more unpredictable, the region now faces one of its biggest challenges yet, finding new solutions to preserve both its land and its way of life.
Source: Phys.org
