Preparatory Meeting for the United Nations Conference on Water
Today, the Secretary of State for the Territory and the Environment, Stefano Canti, participated at the UN in Geneva in the preparatory meeting for the UN Water Conference of 2023. An event of the UNECE Regions leading its contributions on sustainable development and contribute perspectives and good practices to strengthen climate resilience, reduce the risks of floods and droughts and strengthen cooperation between sectors that use water (agriculture, energy, etc.) to reconcile conflicting needs. In his speech at the Meeting, the Secretary of State Stefano Canti highlighted the fact that climate change is putting the agricultural sector in great difficulty, the lack of water causes significant damage to crops, agricultural production is decreasing putting at risk the farmers’ income, with the potential risk of land abandonment and the consequent loss of territorial protection. The increase in the prices of raw materials is also increasingly putting the agricultural sector in difficulty, to which the policy will have to pay particular attention and support. Government policies are also aimed at satisfying the population’s needs for drinking water in the future in order to guarantee autonomy while respecting sustainability. To date, the water needs of the Republic of San Marino are mostly satisfied by transboundary waters, through conventions and agreements signed with Italy. The objective of the Republic of San Marino is to reduce consumption and losses from the aqueduct network, make the most of internal water resources and create water reserves in the area. In the immediate light of the increasingly frequent summer water emergencies, plans are being made to systematize the various drainage wells, built over the years to reduce the hydrogeological, to create water collection points and accumulations scattered throughout the territory for different uses, for example for agriculture or public parks. To compensate for the current and future shortages of supply sources, a feasibility study was carried out for the construction of an accumulation reservoir on the Rio San Marino capable of accumulating water in periods of abundance, making it available in periods of need. The intervention is considered relevant both from an environmental and economic point of view, however a smaller intervention is being studied through the construction of a short dam on the Rio San Marino with the construction of a small embankment for the creation of an artificial reservoir with a initial capacity of approximately 200,000 cubic meters, instead of the maximum project forecast of 1.5 million cubic meters. In combination with the reservoir, taking advantage of the jump in altitude of about 50 meters, it is possible to foresee the construction of a hydroelectric plant in order to produce about 250 kW of electricity, equal to about 1,100 MWh per year, consequently a saving of 484 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere. A starting point at a later time can be further developed according to real needs, thus constituting a valid alternative to the current water supply by the state of San Marino. Stefano Canti (Secretary of State for the Territory and the Environment): “Never before have we needed to strengthen the internal water supply system to ensure the survival of ecosystems and our very existence. I believe it is important to direct local policies towards the achievement of the sustainable development goals, in line with the indications of the UN 2030 Agenda. This Meeting represents an important opportunity for San Marino to learn about the action plan on the circular economy, the prospects and policies in water management and the best practices in place in the various countries. ”
Cs Territory Secretariat
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