Towards understanding links between rural landuse changes and local hydrological response

Agriculture controls through irrigation and reclamation networks more water than any other activity on this planet. Over the past century, significant changes in agricultural practices have occurred, driven by local or European policies, and changes in the local economy. As a result, many drainage networks have changed, and there is substantial evidence that these changes can create impacts on the environment, producing a greater exposure to flooding. Such impact has a broad range of implications for society, also because of climate inputs coupling with these human drivers. Despite this, there are very few studies in which evidence has been sought to understand how does the influence on the watershed response to agricultural changes depends on the rainfall event characteristics and soil conditions, and what is their related significance. This work presents an analysis of farmland changes observed in the most recent years (~30 years) in a study area in Veneto (Northeastern Italy).