T1 – Dam heightening in the Italian Alps

Short description

Climate change is significantly altering Alpine hydrological regimes by reducing natural storage in the form of snow and ice, while simultaneously increasing the frequency of intense droughts. These changes lead to a growing temporal mismatch between water availability and demand. Within the broader context of storage expansion strategies, increasing the capacity of existing reservoirs through dam heightening represents a specific and promising measure to capture water surplus and enhance system resilience. However, identifying the most suitable candidates for such interventions requires a robust evaluation of technical, environmental, and socio-economic constraints.

The objective of this thesis is to implement a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework, inspired by recent Swiss Alpine storage studies [1], to assess the feasibility of dam heightening across the Italian Alpine arc. The study will evaluate different heightening alternatives (e.g., +5%, +10%, +20%) for major reservoirs. The work involves a systematic scoring process where each alternative is evaluated against a set of criteria, ranging from structural suitability to socio-economic and environmental impacts, with the analysis considering both historical conditions and climate change scenarios.

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES

Data Collection

  • Building a comprehensive database of major Alpine dams, including structural data (type, material, height) and hydrological characteristics.
  • Gathering geospatial data on environmental constraints (e.g., Natura 2000 sites, National Parks), land use, and critical infrastructure surrounding the reservoirs.

MCDA Framework and Feasibility Scoring

  • Applying a scoring matrix to evaluate the selected heightening alternatives based on specific criteria (e.g., protected areas, infrastructure interference, energy impact).
  • Performing spatial and numerical analyses to assign scores for each criterion. This process will be supported by QGIS for spatial assessment, complemented by Excel or any other analytical tools the student deems appropriate for data processing.
  • Executing a weighted sum of scores to identify the most robust and feasible alternatives for each region.

Multisectoral Impact Assessment

  • Integrating the top-ranked alternatives into the HYPERstreamHS large-scale hydrological model [2, 3].
  • Simulating the modified system to evaluate how increased storage affects downstream water availability and drought mitigation under historical and climate change conditions

REFERENCES

  1. Felix, David, et al. “Potentials for increasing the water and electricity storage in the Swiss Alps.” Proc. 27th ICOLD Congress, Marseille, France, Q. 2022.
  2. Avesani, Diego, et al. “A dual-layer MPI continuous large-scale hydrological model including Human Systems.” Environmental Modelling & Software 139 (2021): 105003.
  3. Galletti, Andrea, et al. “Detailed simulation of storage hydropower systems in large Alpine watersheds.” Journal of Hydrology 603 (2021): 127125.

Relevant courses and knowledge

Advanced Environmental Systems Analysis

Number of students

1/2 preferably starting during the spring semester

Requisites

Interest in climate change adaptation and water resources management. Proficiency in QGIS is essential for spatial data processing. Familiarity with data analysis tools (such as Excel or other software) is required to manage the scoring framework and interpret results.