Climate change is altering our mountain landscapes—reducing glacier mass, shifting precipitation patterns, and affecting water availability. Facing these challenges, Acqua Sorgente, a citizen science initiative led by the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), stands out as a powerful example of local action with global implications.
🌍 Acqua Sorgente: Citizen Science in Action for Climate Change Adaptation
🧪 What is Acqua Sorgente?
Launched to map and monitor mountain springs across Italy, Acqua Sorgente encourages everyone—hikers, students, mountain enthusiasts—to collect data useful for protecting vital water resources. More than 600 springs have already been recorded, and the data is openly available through an interactive map and a user-friendly app (acquasorgente.cai.it, acquasorgente.cai.it).
🤝 Citizen Engagement at the Heart
This is true citizen science: participants are not mere observers, but active researchers, measuring spring flow, water temperature, and even conductivity when using project-provided meters (acquasorgente.cai.it).
By democratizing data collection, the project builds scientific literacy, connects communities with environmental stewardship, and fosters collective ownership of climate adaptation.
⚙️ Science Meets Participation
Thanks to partnerships with universities (Pisa, Roma Tre, Alpi Marittime Authority), Acqua Sorgente ensures that collected data is scientifically robust (acquasorgente.cai.it). Results have already been shared at national and international congresses—including the EGU 2025 in Vienna (acquasorgente.cai.it)—and further collaboration is planned.
🌿 Adapting to Climate Change
Mountain springs are climate sensors. Their flow and chemical signature reveal changes in groundwater recharge, snowmelt, and evolving hydrological cycles. Regular monitoring enables:
- Detection of decreasing spring flow during summer dry spells
- Identification of shifts in water chemistry, signaling altered recharge processes
- Collection of long-term data to model future trends and inform local adaptation strategies
By empowering citizens to gather this data, Acqua Sorgente significantly contributes to community-based climate resilience.
📣 Sharing & Inspiration
The project communicates results through newsletters, events, and science outreach. Highlights include:
- Spring Blitz 2025 webinar, launched on World Water Day, uniting volunteers in a single-day nationwide survey (cai.it, acquasorgente.cai.it)
Participation at ScienceUs Berlin, and selection for the “Flourish” phase at the ScienceUs Upscale Academy in Marseille, reinforcing Acqua Sorgente’s role as a leading citizen science initiative in Europe (acquasorgente.cai.it)
🏔️ What You Can Do
- Download the app and monitor nearby springs
- Join newsletter and engage in Spring Blitz campaigns
- Organize local outings with CAI sections to monitor water sources
Share insights to support adaptation planning in mountain communities
🚀 Final Thoughts
Acqua Sorgente demonstrates how engaged citizens, scientific rigor, and open data can form a powerful synergy in the face of climate change. Monitoring mountain springs isn’t just about preserving ecosystems—it’s about building resilient communities and understanding the hidden impacts of a warming planet.
“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”
