Ancient Knowledge of Irrigation for a Sustainable City: Insight on Milan Water Meadows

Historic irrigation systems are a significant environmental and cultural resource for contemporary society and can effectively respond to the problems contemporary cities have with climate changes, such as droughts and floods. Milan’s run-flow irrigation system, and particularly its flagship water meadows, have been under great admiration by scholars from all over the world since the eighteenth century. Today the traditional irrigation system is in crisis and the water meadows are in sharp decline. Protection is entrusted by the regional parks around Milan, which implement passive to pro-active protection. Some scientific research and empirical evidence show that the combination of these ancient techniques can ensure minimum water quantity in case of drought and water absorption in case of excess rain. Their benefits could potentially expand to large areas, as was the previous meadows extension, and could also be profitable for sustainable peri-urban areas.