Drought-proof communities: Learning from vernacular architecture and adopting contemporary solutions to tackle desertification

Desertification is among the most pressing risks of climate change and environmental crisis. Longer and more frequent water-stress periods have been experienced not only in Sub-Saharan countries but also in southern Europe. This is increasingly affecting the way people live, including their health and the balance between natural and built environments. Water management and hygrothermal strategies from the vernacular architecture of arid areas can provide vital lessons to those territories that are starting now to face droughts as a climate-related damage. At the same time, smart strategies and new technologies can be effectively combined in contemporary architecture to face it. The study proposes an investigation in both vernacular strategies and new solutions to cope with water-stress in the built environment, assuming the cactus plant and its capacity to capture and store water as a reference concept. The methodology includes a deep investigation of vernacular and contemporary solutions from arid climates, to be applied in areas that will increasingly be affected by the issue; then, on this basis, the definition of guidelines and an adaptable preparedness plan for these communities, and a third piloting phase for a selected community in Italy. The first stage of the research is presented in the text. It derives that reflecting on vernacular water storage and sedimentation methods, applying and innovatively improving these methods to meet contemporary livelihood, health, and water quality standards could highly contribute to solving water scarcity problems and preparing these communities for expected drought periods.