• Reference person: MaurizioRighetti(maurizio.righetti@unibz.it)

• Host University/Institute: Libera Università di Bolzano

• Internship: N

• Research Keywords: Flood risk, river hydraulics,Hydrology, climate change, extreme eventsNature based solutions

• Reference ERCs: PE8_11 Environmental engineering, e.g. sustainable design, waste and water treatment, recycling, regeneration or recovery of compounds, carbon capture & storagePE6_12 Scientific computing, simulation and modelling toolsPE6_11 Machine learning, statistical data processing and applications using signal processing (e.g. speech, image, video)

• Reference SDGs: GOAL 6: Clean Water and SanitationGOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesGOAL 13: Climate Action

Description

In the Alpine region, climate change is occurring at twice the global average rate, with temperatures rising by nearly 2°C since the late 19th century. This rapid warming significantly increases hydrogeological risks, making mountain hazards less predictable and more intense. The flood regime is altered in many aspects, such as:   Winter Floods, Earlier Peaks, Snowmelt. While overall precipitation may decrease in summer, the frequency of short, intense rainfall events is increasing. The coupled hydrological-hydraulic simulations show that the increase in peak discharge is higher than the increase in precipitation. [Munz et al. 2024]. The flood impacts increase non-linearly with higher global warming levels. The estimated flood impacts may be underestimated in some scenarios or locations because bridges, which often limit the channel capacity locally, and driftwood, which could congest narrow sections, check dams, weirs, or bridges, are not included in the simulations. Such congestion can lead to levees overtopping upstream or a flood wave downstream if congestion is suddenly released.

The hydrological changes brought about by climate change require natural drainage systems to adapt to new meteorological and climatic conditions. This calls for an integrated approach that combines nature-based solutions with monitoring and spatial planning. Adaptation efforts must also (and not only) focus on slowing down runoff and improving the area’s natural storage capacity.

Suggested skills:

The main skills required of the candidate are the willingness to participate in the working and interdisciplinary team, creating a relaxed environment but pursuing clear research aims. Furthermore, it is necessary that the candidate be willing to learn and to get to know and apply new aspects from different disciplines and to work in collaboration with public partners (e.g. Agenzia Protezione Civile Bolzano) on the analysis of real cases. From the point of view of technical skills, the candidate should have the basics of programming (Fortran and/or Matlab, Python,…) or the use of at least 2D hydraulic modelling software (Basement, Flow-2D, etc.).

Research team and environment

The PhD candidate will be part of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. The research team he will join consists of various experts in the fields of hydraulics, ecosystems and hydraulic safety. The team consists of experienced researchers. There are many opportunities for contact with external public entities, which manage the hydrogeological risk in South Tyrol. The contact person for this research topic usually co-operates with provincial offices. This collaboration will facilitate the practical impact on the productive world of research results.