The Growing Threat of Extreme Weather Events in Italy: Urgent Actions Needed

As the years go by, Italy is increasingly experiencing a shift towards a tropical and anomalous climate, leading to a rise in extreme weather events such as floods, torrential rains, tornadoes, heatwaves, severe droughts, and hailstorms. The situation is becoming more critical, with data from Legambiente's Climate Cities Observatory revealing a growing trend in early 2023 compared to the previous year.

By May 2023, Italy experienced a 135% increase in extreme weather events compared to 2022, with 122 incidents (compared to 52 in the same period in 2022) causing damage, especially in six Italian regions. The climate crisis poses an ever-growing threat to the country, with heavy rains being the most common type of extreme weather event, totaling 30 cases since the beginning of the year.

Italian Regions Most Affected by Extreme Events

In early 2023, the following six Italian regions were most affected by extreme weather events:

1. Emilia-Romagna (36)

2. Sicily (15)

3. Piedmont (10)

4. Latium (8)

5. Lombardy (8)

6. Tuscany (8)

Urgent Actions Required

Legambiente proposes three urgent actions Italy must undertake:

1. National Climate Change Adaptation Plan: Awaiting approval, this plan is still on standby after the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) initiated last year following the Ischia tragedy. Adequate funding must be allocated for its implementation, which was not provided in the latest budget law.

2. PNIEC Update: Italy and other EU countries must update the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) by June's end to help keep global warming within the critical threshold of 1.5°C. Key actions include accelerating the energy transition, investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and promoting electric mobility to decarbonize transportation.

3. Land Consumption Law: Initiated in 2012 but stalled in Parliament since 2016, this law aims for zero cementification by 2050.

Source: Legambiente

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