Rainwater harvesting at Kerakoll research centre

Description: Rainwater harvesting (reused for irrigation and bioclimatic cooling) and landscaping through the integrated open-water tank (IRIDRA, 2021).

Country: Italy

City: Sassuolo (MO)

City size: 38.4 km²

Population: 40.813 (municipality population 2017)

start: 2012

Timeframe: No Data

Phase: Completed

Nature-based solutions (NBS) : Yes

Initiator: Kerakoll research centre

Website source: http://www.iridra.eu/en/applicazioni-en/drenaggio-urbano-sostenibile-en.html

Latitude: 44.5552

Longitude: 10.8034

Co-benefits

Increased provisioning of ecosystem goods (e.g. Food, water, etc)

Yes, the project increased provisioning of water for irrigation and bioclimatic cooling.

Increased infiltration, water retention and flood protection

Yes, bioretention system that allows water infiltration in the ground.

Sustainable urbanisation

Yes, through sustainable water reuse in the research centre and water- efficient landscaping . An open-water tank is used to harvest rainwater from the roof for irrigation, and bioclimatic cooling (IRIDRA, 2021).

Improved aesthetic value

Yes

Original problems

Drought and heat risk

Investigations of mutation in the compound occurrence of drought and heat conditions have identified many hotspots of compound drought and extreme heat conditions in Europe. These include, among others, France, Benelux countries, Italy and Balkan Peninsula. Trend detection has shown that these areas were characterized by a rising trend in the compound occurrence of drought and heat extremes. (Bezak, Mikos, 2020).

Low aesthetic value

Yes

SDGs

Good health and well-being (SDG3)

Yes

Sustainable cities and communities (SDG11)

Yes

Climate action, resilience, mitigation and adaptation (SDG13)

Yes, the installation of water saving devices, the reuse of treated grey water for toilet flushing, rain water harvesting and reuse for irrigation and bioclimatic cooling contribute to reduce the withdrawal of groundwater and protect the water resource.

Terrestrial biodiversity (SDG15)

Yes

Reference: Bezak, N., Mikos, M. (2020). Changes in the Compound Drought and Extreme Heat Occurrence in the 1961–2018 Period at the European Scale. Water 2020, 12, 3543. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123543.

IRIDRA (2021). Nature-based solutions - Sustainable water management. Information obtained: 2021-02-16. Available at: http://www.iridra.eu/en/applicazioni-en/urbani-en.html.