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Closed for application
C40.CU1.04

Integration of EO data into subsidence risk assessment to support sustainable groundwater management

  • Reference person
    Roberta
    Bonì
    roberta.boni@iusspavia.it
  • Host University/Institute
    Istituto universitario di studi superiori di Pavia
  • Internship
    N
  • Research Keywords
    Land subsidence risk assessment
    Sustainable groundwater management
    Earth Observation
  • Reference ERCs
    PE10_20 Geohazards
    PE10_14 Earth observations from space/remote sensing
    PE10_17 Hydrology, hydrogeology, engineering and environmental geology, water and soil pollution
  • Reference SDGs
    GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
    GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
    GOAL 13: Climate Action
  • Studente
  • Supervisor
  • Co-Supervisor

Description

Italy is one of the countries in the world that has experienced significant damage due to land subsidence (LS), with several areas identified as hotspots through the use of Earth Observation (EO) data, specifically Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). LS is more severe in regions where the natural compaction of recent deposits is exacerbated by excessive groundwater extraction. Emilia-Romagna (ER) region has been particularly affected, with up to 7 cm/year subsidence rates impacting a significant portion of the population since the 1950s.While numerous InSAR studies have examined LS monitoring, very few have converted the observations derived from EO into risk assessment. The various environmental, social, and economic effects of LS are frequently disregarded, as are the potential ways in which climate change, population expansion, and urban development could intensify this phenomenon in the coming years.The PhD project will innovate with new EO-based methodologies aiming to enhance our understanding of groundwater exploitation impacts on urban landscapes and to provide valuable insights for better sustainable urban planning and natural resource management.The main expected results of the PhD project:-a new and innovative methodological workflow based on EO data and novel analysis techniques for LS risk assessment.-improved urban resilience and security for groundwater resources, towards sustainable development.

Suggested skills:

-Environmental remote sensing-Geospatial analysis of Earth observation and non-Earth observation data-Risk assessment-Geostatistical data analysis and interpretation

Research team and environment

The research team comprises Dr. R. Bonì, a senior researcher in Physical Geography, Geomorphology, and Applied Geology; Prof. A. Taramelli, a professor of Remote Sensing and Surface Coastal Processes; and Dr. M. Righini, a postdoctoral fellow in Geomorphology. They collaborate internationally with the Geohazards InSAR Laboratory and Modelling Group at IGME in Madrid and nationally with CNR-ISAC in Rome. The PhD candidate will spend six months at each lab, enriching their research on geohazards and earth observation within this interdisciplinary team.