Europe and the Mediterranean are facing an unprecedented escalation of water- and climate-related risks: flooding, water shortages, soil salinisation, rising sea levels, and landslides. Heatwaves, which are becoming more frequent and earlier in the year, are warming the sea surface. According to the IPCC, by 2050, 20% of Mediterranean coastal areas could be exposed to frequent marine flooding. Warming could reach +2.2°C by 2040, or even +3.8°C locally by 2100. Furthermore, the European Drought Observatory highlights that heatwaves and lack of rainfall are worsening the region’s structural drought.
The socio-economic impacts are already being felt: pressure on drinking water supplies in tourist areas, increased restrictions for agriculture, and a high risk of forest fires. Additionally, demographic pressure is intensifying: the Mediterranean population, which was 472 million in 2010, is expected to reach 572 million by 2030, with over 70% living in urban areas, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
In response to these challenges, AVITEM is working alongside local and international partners to strengthen the resilience of territories.
Ongoing Projects
WaterAdapt Project
Improving the management of multiple water-related risks that simultaneously affect European regions in the context of climate change, by developing tailored regional and local policies through interregional cooperation and knowledge sharing.Projet WaterAdapt
Tratt’eau Project
Assessing the flooding risks threatening economic activities along the Mediterranean coast, and supporting their relocation. Large stretches of the coastline are directly affected by rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
Sete Project
Designing and identifying tools to address water shortages in the Franco-Italian Alpine cross-border region. The project tests nature-based solutions, adaptive governance models, and involves local stakeholders, authorities, policymakers, and citizens.
Completed Projects
Melimed Project
A multidisciplinary training programme on coastal planning for Mediterranean cities facing climate change, aimed at students and professionals, in response to the lack of specific training in architecture schools.