English – MEDITERRANEAN DIALOGUES 2026

The 2026 “Mediterranean Intercultural Colloquia” is hereby announced. The general theme is “AQUA,” with the following thematic areas of cultural discussion. Participation is open to speakers identified by the COMEN International Working Group and to anyone else who requests to participate.

Preamble

Water is the fundamental element of life on our planet, a focus of attention and cultural awareness through literature, poetry, and art. It covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface, with a volume of 1.38 billion square kilometers, forming the hydrosphere. Approximately 97% of Earth’s water is oceanic; only 3% is freshwater, most of which is found in glaciers and underground. Only 1% of the total is accessible for human use. The history of engineering works for freshwater harvesting is millennia-old and parallels the development of early civilizations, driven by the need to secure water resources for agriculture, hygiene, and human consumption, often in arid or seasonally dry environments. From Sumerian canals to Minoan cisterns, to the complex Roman network, hydraulic engineering has constantly evolved techniques for collection, transport, and storage.

Modern hydraulic engineering techniques rely on the integration of computational fluid dynamics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and environmental sustainability to manage complex water resources and mitigate climate change risks. The current approach is shifting from rigid, concrete-based infrastructures to smart, environmentally integrated solutions. New sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) are emerging, techniques for managing rainwater in urban centers through green infrastructure (green roofs, permeable pavements) that reduce flood risk. The new naturalistic frontier involves the use of natural materials (plants, wood, stone) to stabilize slopes and waterways, reducing environmental impact (piling, wicker, and entablature). Furthermore, river redevelopment is gaining momentum, with interventions to restore the original natural structure of waterways to improve their self-purification capacity and mitigate flooding.

Natural hazard scenarios related to water are well known, with cyclonic disturbances and floods that have hit the Mediterranean region in recent years, including the Valencian cyclone and the floods in Emilia-Romagna. Cyclone Harry also severely affected southern Italy, particularly Sicily. Hydrogeological and hydraulic risks are scenarios that are set to worsen under the effects of climate change. 94.5% of Italian municipalities are at hydrogeological risk, exposed to landslides, floods, or coastal erosion. ISPRA (through the IdroGEO portal) reports over 636,000 landslides, with 23% of the national territory (approximately 69,500 km²) classified as at high landslide risk. Over 1.28 million people live in areas with high landslide risk. The Niscemi landslide dramatically draws public attention to the need for continuous monitoring, using advanced and available instruments, as well as for urban planning that is much more attentive to localized natural hazards. Urban planning and civil protection must be parallel, not separate.

Another scenario is the progressive desertification of Mediterranean coastal areas, with worsening droughts exacerbating the serious administrative responsibilities associated with significant water supply leaks. In Italy, the water supply system wastes over 42% of the drinking water supplied, with approximately 3.4 billion cubic meters wasted annually, equivalent to approximately 157 liters per inhabitant per day. A policy of extraordinary (replacement) maintenance of urban water networks is more urgent than ever. At the same time, in the face of a growing decline in water resources, technologies for desalination of seawater and even urban and industrial wastewater are advancing, consolidating virtuous processes ranging from rainwater harvesting to desalination and purification.

The phenomenon of saline intrusion into coastal aquifers also deserves attention, due to their overdrainage for irrigation. In this context, the Ragusa coastal strip in southern Sicily is a significant example, being studied at the INGV and local experts seminar held in Ragusa in the summer of 2025 (see link on the COMEN homepage).

These and other aspects will be discussed in the 2026 MEDITERRANEAN COLLOQUIES.