River Habitat and Climate Crisis. Presentation of the web documentary on the "MesoHABSIM" project

How much water do river ecosystems need to thrive? Determining this is vital, especially in a scenario of increasingly severe and structural water scarcity. Between 1991 and 2020, water availability decreased by 19% compared to the period 1921–1950. To address this issue, science has stepped in, employing a methodology called MesoHABSIM (Mesohabitat Simulation Model). This approach enables the design of optimal cohabitation models between rivers and the animal and plant species they support. MesoHABSIM was developed by an international team including specialists from various Italian universities and research institutions: Politecnico di Torino, ISPRA, and the Universities of Turin, Trento, and Parma.

During the conference "River Habitat and Climate Crisis", held in the Sala delle Feste of Palazzo Madama, the web documentary "MesoHABSIM" will be presented—a journalistic and educational account created by the team from Adaptation.it.

Speakers:

• Marco Piras, Vice-Director of the Department of Environment, Land, and Infrastructure Engineering (DIATI) at Politecnico di Torino;
• Paolo Vezza, Associate Professor at Politecnico di Torino – DIATI, and Scientific Coordinator of the MesoHABSIM project;
• Alex Laini, Researcher at the University of Turin;
• Marco Merola, Science Journalist and Founder of Adaptation.it;
• Gemma Burgazzi, Researcher at the University of Turin;
• Isabelle Brichetto, Researcher at Politecnico di Torino – DIATI.

Free entry until all available seats are filled. No reservation service is provided.

The conference is organized by Politecnico di Torino – DIATI in collaboration with Adaptation.it as part of the exhibition Change! Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. The Po.

Photo: Trebbia River in Gossolengo (Pc), June 2023 ©Marco Barretta / MesoHABSIM Project.