Water harvesting and managing rainfall in urban ecosystems

Ipogea, Italy

The Sassi of Matera is an urban ecosystem completely based on harvesting and managing rainfall. Water is harvested by ancient underground cisterns carved out of limestone which are supplied by rain water from rooftops.

They are also fed by tunnels which receive runoff from the slope and conveyed into natural channels, terraces, tunnels and cisterns forming ‘hanging gardens.’ In the context of the SHADUF project, IPOGEA reiterated the general model of the development of water harvesting systems in Matera, southern Italy. Water management was traced from its humble beginnings among hunters and gatherers to the elaborate sophisticated systems in urban settings.

IPOGEA examined in greater detail the cisterns in Matera. “Roof-cisterns” are are still used nowadays in Southern Italy, specially on Murge Plateau. Built at the bottom of a watershed, these structures harvest water runoff and moisture from the soil. A roof-cistern belonging to the XIX century, was restored by IPOGEA.