The "wet area of international interest" located in Torre Guaceto(Convention of Ramsar,l97l)is a natural reserve of primary importance based on a delicate hydrological equilibrium between fresh water and intruding seawater. Such an equilibrium,which has made the area well known throughou the Mediterranean as a landing place of reliable freshwater supply(from the Arabian word "Gaw sit"), is gradually so much deteriorating that it requires targeted actions for its survival,threatened also by the imminent danger of "Canale Reale". On the basis of the historical data vailable, the hydrodynamic situation in the above area about 50 years ago, has been reconstructed. This has favoured a comparison with a previous situation unaffected by exploitation and pollution phenomena,thus clearly featuring the causes of deterioration underway. These last are of two kinds:the former anthropic, the latter natural.Over the last 50 years man has massively exploited the groundwater,only recently has it slightly diminished with the use of more rational irrigation methods and by the intensive farming practice with fertilisers and herbicides. Also,the same period has been characterized by a gradual but constant drop in rainfall. The coincidence of these events has triggered a gradualy impoverishment of groundwater as well as its salting and a fair pollution degree of agricultural origin.Beside this degradation status, still modest and easily to be retrieved,there is the great potential danger of Canale Reale righ to the heart of the reserve. This ancient gully following to the population and industrial development in its 60 km extension,is no more draining stream water,but it basically drains water from purification plants. This stands for the main potential danger if a plant failure were to cause the out-flowing of waste water before purification. Hence,the absolute need of creating a protection system for the reserve which can be promptly and easily activated when required. To this end,the authors have assumed the implementation of a "safeguard basin" acting as phyto-purification integrated,downstream,with a further "spreading basin" collecting purified water before discharging to the sea or supplementing the wet area
The Natural Reserve of Torre Guaceto. (Apulia, South Italy) An action of environment remediation / Tinelli, Roccaldo; Calo', Giuseppe Cesario. - (2005), pp. 440-449. (Intervento presentato al convegno 3rd Synposium Italo-russian Institute of Education and Ecological Researches tenutosi a St Petersburg nel 16-18 giugno 2005).
The Natural Reserve of Torre Guaceto. (Apulia, South Italy) An action of environment remediation
TINELLI, Roccaldo;CALO', Giuseppe Cesario
2005-01-01
Abstract
The "wet area of international interest" located in Torre Guaceto(Convention of Ramsar,l97l)is a natural reserve of primary importance based on a delicate hydrological equilibrium between fresh water and intruding seawater. Such an equilibrium,which has made the area well known throughou the Mediterranean as a landing place of reliable freshwater supply(from the Arabian word "Gaw sit"), is gradually so much deteriorating that it requires targeted actions for its survival,threatened also by the imminent danger of "Canale Reale". On the basis of the historical data vailable, the hydrodynamic situation in the above area about 50 years ago, has been reconstructed. This has favoured a comparison with a previous situation unaffected by exploitation and pollution phenomena,thus clearly featuring the causes of deterioration underway. These last are of two kinds:the former anthropic, the latter natural.Over the last 50 years man has massively exploited the groundwater,only recently has it slightly diminished with the use of more rational irrigation methods and by the intensive farming practice with fertilisers and herbicides. Also,the same period has been characterized by a gradual but constant drop in rainfall. The coincidence of these events has triggered a gradualy impoverishment of groundwater as well as its salting and a fair pollution degree of agricultural origin.Beside this degradation status, still modest and easily to be retrieved,there is the great potential danger of Canale Reale righ to the heart of the reserve. This ancient gully following to the population and industrial development in its 60 km extension,is no more draining stream water,but it basically drains water from purification plants. This stands for the main potential danger if a plant failure were to cause the out-flowing of waste water before purification. Hence,the absolute need of creating a protection system for the reserve which can be promptly and easily activated when required. To this end,the authors have assumed the implementation of a "safeguard basin" acting as phyto-purification integrated,downstream,with a further "spreading basin" collecting purified water before discharging to the sea or supplementing the wet areaI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
