Nadia Ursino, nadia.ursino@unipd.it

Reseach areas:

Man relies on environmental resources, the loss of which may determine environment degradation, land abandonment and migration. Since the dynamics of economy, environment and society are interlaced, it is reasonable to expect that opportunities and threats arise from the combination of conscious and sustainable environmental management, cooperation, unwise resources exploitation and corruption. The recent history of urban development too often witnessed unwise environmental resources exploitation. In rapidly expanding urban areas life quality is threatened by unsustainable water consumption, lack of drinkable water access, contamination of aquatic ecosystems, risk of flood and water scarcity, often leading to a widening gap between rich and poor.
New interdisciplinary tools for sustainable development are expected to bridge across disciplines, to guide political decisions, and raise public awareness. Minimal socio-ecological models are formulated and continuously updated to describe the co-evolution of economy, environment and society.

Keywords: sustainable development, water management