Drought is a phenomenon that is becoming an emergency in Italy, in particular between Lombardy, Piedmont and Siucily, with 81 total damages from 2020 to mid-May. These are the numbers provided by Legambiente which, in view of World Environment Day, which has as its theme “restoration of the territory, desertification and resilience to drought”, takes stock of the situation with the new data from its Città Clima Observatory launching at the time itself a double appeal to the Meloni Government and to Europe in view of the next European legislature.
According to the environmentalist association “concrete and integrated interventions are needed: a single direction from the authorities
basin, an integrated national and river basin strategy; encourage good practices for retaining water and practicing the reuse of treated waste water. At European level, a framework law on climate resilience should be approved.” According to prudential estimates by the European Commission, Legambiente reminds us, without effective preventive action against climate risks, damage from floods, heat waves, droughts, forest fires, crop losses or diseases could reduce European GDP by around 7% by the end of the century.
Furthermore, according to the provisions of the National Climate Adaptation Plan, launched at the end of 2023 by the Meloni Government, in Italy a reduction in the value of agricultural production of 12.5 billion euros is estimated in 2050 in a scenario
climate with climate-changing emissions halved by 2050 and equal to zero by 2080.
“The drought that has hit Sicily in particular in recent months, the rationed water, the protests of citizens and farmers – declares Stefano Ciafani, national president of Legambiente – give us a very summary of how the climate crisis is accelerating the pace even in Italy. From Sicily to Sardinia passing through the other regions of the Peninsula, it is clear that the effects of climate change, starting from increasingly chronic drought events, are now very tangible with serious environmental and economic repercussions”.
In particular, he continues, “the prolonged drought in recent years has repeatedly brought agricultural production to its knees and
caused a worrying drop in lake levels. This is why it is essential to intervene in prevention rather than acting after extreme climatic events have hit the Peninsula. Our country must aim for a circular, sustainable and integrated approach to water management and a widespread dissemination of good practices already active in the area”. At a European level, adds Ciafani, “we ask for more ambitious climate and energy policies that are based on the green deal and on a new pact for the future that truly puts the environment at the centre”.
According to a study published in the journal “Nature Communications” climate change is making more
these rapid transitions from one extreme of precipitation to the opposite, from drought to floods and vice versa, are intense and frequent. Climate change is also accelerating the risk of desertification in entire regions such as Sicily.
Stefania Losito
