Groundwater utilisation and protection: the experience and the comparison of Argentine and Italian regulations

This contribution describes the approach of two wide coastal areas, located in two countries, Argentina and Italy, to the regulation of groundwater utilisation and protection, considering the general purpose to satisfy the current demand of high quality water and to guarantee sustainable utilisation of groundwater resources. The contribution also considers some local government initiatives concerning the protection of water resources, in terms of availability and quality, and of ecosystems. Moreover, attention is given to the effect of the whole water cycle management, comparing Italian national legislation, defined in the framework of European Union, considering the specificities of Apulian region, with Argentine national legislation, considering the specificity of Buenos Aires province. Natural resources management is considered from two perspectives: legislation and the government structure managing it. It can be argued that the two cases studied possess, up to a certain extent, completely opposing advantages and disadvantages and are therefore complementary.