The role of historical agricultural terraces in geo-hydrological risk reduction: a case study from the Bisagno Stream catchment (Genoa, Italy)

Terraces, traditionally sustained by dry stonewalls, occupy about thirty percent of the territory of Liguria. If constantly maintained, they effectively contribute to slow down the natural slope erosion. When no longer managed, terraces are recognized as one of the reasons for increased geomorphological risk along the slopes and, consequently, at the bottom of the valley. ThisstudyconcernstheterracedlandscapesoftheBisagnoStreamcatchment,internationallyknownfortherecent and recurring floods which affected the city of Genoa. The Bisagno Stream catchment is an example of historical evolution of the territory both in terms of land use change and geo-hydrological risk. The catchment, whose highest point is Mount Candelozzo (1034 m), has a total area of 95 km2. In its terminal stretch the stream flows across the eastern part of Genoa city centre. It is a typical valley of the Genoa metropolitan area, with steep slopes and short times of concentration. Here the signs of the tragic floods which have affected the area since 1970 are still visible. The most recent and tragic geo-hydrological event in Liguria took place in the Bisagno Valley in October 2014. The study was carried out with a multi-temporal comparison of the terraced areas using aerial photographs and regional cartographic information. A further step will involve the analysis and classification of the terraces based ontheirmaintenanceconditionandhydrogeologicaleffectiveness,usingsomerepresentativeareasofthevalleyas cases study. The comparison between the distribution of terraces in the Bisagno valley and applied geomorphological cartography suggests the need of measures to reduce the risk according to a suitable set of priorities, including the recovery of the terraced areas and connected structures aimed to limit the accumulation of solid material along the main waterway.