Reducing the hydraulic risk in Abruzzo Region, Italy

DRR - Disaster Risk Reduction

BETA Studio > DRR - Disaster Risk Reduction > Reducing the hydraulic risk in Abruzzo Region, Italy
BETA Studio > DRR - Disaster Risk Reduction > Reducing the hydraulic risk in Abruzzo Region, Italy

Reducing the hydraulic risk in Abruzzo Region, Italy

Year: 2013 - on going
Client: Comune di Carsoli
Country: ITALY
Title: Works for hydraulic risk mitigation and
protection of Carsoli town (L'Aquila province)
against floods.
Preliminary and detailed design,
supervision of works and technical assistance
Service: Detailed Design
Work Supervision
Funds: Public Funds

AfDB: Banca Africana di Sviluppo; BID: Banca Interamericana di Sviluppo; BM: Banca Mondiale; UE: Unione Europea

The project is aimed at reducing the hydraulic risk in the city of Carsoli, located in Abruzzo Region in central Italy. Inside the city centre, the Vallemura and the Turano rivers were channelled into rectangular concrete riverbeds, with buildings placed on both sides, which leaves little room for upgrading solutions. Downtown, the confluence between the two watercourses is a critical point for hydraulic safety, due to its inadequate connection and because of the presence of large and dense civil infrastructures (such as roads, railway lines), residential properties (high proportion of unplanned settlements), industrial-production areas, degraded environment.

The envisaged solutions include the implementation of two detention basins, one built on and the other adjacent to the river, hydraulic engineering works to regulate the waterways in the town, as well as ancillary environmental structures. The works are located in the catchment area of the Turano torrent, a tributary to the Velino river. The works are carried out both in rural sites and in areas subject to human pressure. For this reason, the design choices have favoured low-impact solutions based on a specific landscape study.

The rationale for selecting the most suitable solutions to make the area safer is based on the follow criteria: (1) safeguarding and expanding natural flooding areas (SuDS approach) limiting man-made control structures; (2)  promoting  maintenance of riverbed, drainage systems and flood protection works to ensure their reliability over time; (3) rehabilitation of river areas for recreational purposes; (4) Promoting a suitable urban planning development.

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