Abstract. Change in climate and water cycle will challenge water availability but it will also increase the exposure to unsafe water. Floods, droughts, heavy storms, changes in rain pattern, increase of temperature and sea level, they all show an increasing trend worldwide and will affect biological, physical and chemical components of water through different paths thus enhancing the risk of waterborne diseases. This paper is intended, through reviewing the available literature, to highlight environmental changes and critical situations caused by floods, drought and warmer temperature that will lead to an increase of exposure to water related pathogens, chemical hazards and cyanotoxins. The final aim is provide knowledge-based elements for more focused adaptation measures.Key words: climate change, waterborne diseases, microbial pathogens, chemical contaminants, toxic cyanobacteria.Riassunto (Effetto dei cambiamenti climatici sulle malattie trasmesse dall'acqua). I cambiamenti climatici e del ciclo idrologico metteranno a rischio la disponibilità d'acqua e aumenteranno l'esposizione ad acqua contaminata. Le alluvioni, le siccità, le grandi tempeste, le variazioni nella frequenza ed intensità delle piogge, il riscaldamento e l'aumento del livello del mare crescono in ogni parte del mondo e influenzeranno le caratteristiche biologiche e chimico-fisiche dell'acqua attraverso diversi meccanismi, con il conseguente aumento del rischio di malattie trasmesse dall'acqua. L'analisi della letteratura disponibile, presentata in questo articolo, evidenzia i cambiamenti ambientali e le situazioni critiche causate da alluvioni, siccità e crescente riscaldamento che causeranno un aumento di esposizione a patogeni, inquinanti chimici e cianotossine, legati all'acqua. Lo scopo è di fornire gli elementi scientifici di base per misure di adattamento mirate.Parole chiave: cambiamenti climatici, malattie trasmesse dall'acqua, microrganismi patogeni, contaminanti chimici, cianobatteri tossici.
Adaptation to water cycle variations is a key issue of short term strategies under climate change and variability scenarios. It is well known that adverse meteorological events such as floods, droughts, heat waves, cold spell, and wind storms are a crucial direct and indirect environmental health determinant. The lack or impaired performance of essential infrastructure such as water supply and sanitation encompass an essential role in disease prevention in these critical conditions, magnifying the risk of water related diseases and the vulnerability of (costly) sustainability policies to preserve safe water. Adaptation actions need to develop tools to improve overall preparedness and coping capacity.
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