(Sixth Power) – Rome – 2 May – There is anticipation for the event: “Flood, landslide and drought emergencies: the role of Naturalistic Engineering and NBS”. The experts meet the mass media at a press conference on Friday 16 May at 10.30 am at the ISPRA (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) headquarters in Rome.
Speakers will include: Federico Preti, National President of AIPIN, Maria Siclari, Director General of ISPRA, Laura D’Aprile, Head of the Department for ecological transition and green investments of the Ministry of the Environment, Giuseppe Lo Presti, Director General for the environmental recovery of the Ministry of the Environment, Massimo Comendini of Italferr, Aldo Patruno, General Director of AssoImpredia, Rosi Sgaravatti, President of Assoverde, Francesco Violo, President of the National Council of Geologists, Monica Cairoli of the National Order of Agronomists and Forestry Doctors, Massimo Crusi.
On May 16th the experts will meet the press with a specific briefing. And the business world will also be there, with proposals, projects and plans for the security of the territory also through the ecological transition.
A topic that is deeply felt by public opinion after the serious events of the flood in Romagna and Marche in 2023.
“It will be the first presentation to the press. 94% of the Italian territory is at risk of hydrogeological instability and land consumption is constantly growing, in 2021 it exceeded 70 square kilometers of new artificial covers in just one year. In this context, the rainfall, the violence of which is accentuated by the effects of climate change with extremely heavy rainfall in concentrated periods which persist in territories where there are long dry periods, highlights the increase in the problematic nature of hydrogeological instability, i.e. that set of processes which they cause degradation of the territory, significantly increasing the probability of catastrophic events”: explains Giuseppe Doronzo, National Vice President of the Italian Association of Naturalistic Engineering AIPIN
According to the 2021 report “Hydrogeological instability in Italy: danger and risk indicators”, also in this case drawn up by ISPRA, in the year examined the national surface area potentially subject to landslides and floods increased: the increase comes close to 4% and 19% compared to 2017.
Almost 94% of Italian municipalities are at risk of collapse and subject to coastal erosion and over 8 million people live in highly dangerous areas.
“The dossier explains that “in 2021, over 540 thousand families and 1,300,000 inhabitants live in areas at risk of landslides (13% young people aged < 15 years, 64% adults between 15 and 64 years and 23% elderly people aged > 64 years), while there are approximately 3 million families and almost 7 million inhabitants living in areas at risk of flooding. The report also highlights that “out of a total of over 14 million buildings, those located in areas with high landslide danger – continued Doronzo – and very high, exceeding 565 thousand (3.9%), while just over 1.5 million (10.7%) fall in floodable areas in the average scenario. The structural aggregates at risk of landslides instead exceed 740 thousand (4%). The industries and services located in areas with high and very high landslide danger are over 84 thousand with 220 thousand employees exposed to risk, while those exposed to the danger of flooding, again in the average scenario, exceed 640 thousand (13.4%)” .
“There is a strong commitment – concluded Giuseppe Doronzo – to ensure that the accommodations are used with Naturalistic Engineering techniques which lend themselves well to a positive and sustainable approach for the mitigation of hydrogeological risk and environmental redevelopment. We as AIPIN also reaffirm the centrality of correct land management both for the prevention/maintenance of hydrogeological risks but also for the redevelopment of the landscape which now appears mandatory. Also not to be underestimated are the benefits that can be obtained with NBS (Natural Based Solutions) actions from reducing existing vulnerabilities to combating soil loss due to erosion, from contributing to adequate management of rainwater, with measures aimed at mitigating the uncontrolled waterproofing of soil even in urban areas. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the costs of remedying the damage caused by landslides, floods and instability are far greater than actions aimed at implementing wise, extremely versatile and adaptable interventions for adaptation to climate change, and how they contribute to improving the quality of surface and groundwater”.
“We have the obligation to think about the evolution of new weather and climate trends with the consequent new strategies to be undertaken regarding the prevention and mitigation of risks, sustainable environmental management in highly vulnerable territories and at this moment we can see greater attention for the he also researches in the academic world, for the Mediterranean area, for hydrogeological defense and, finally with greater force, for landscape and Climate Change. AIPIN has been hoping for years, the beginning of a no longer improper management of the territory. We as AIPIN underline the centrality of the correct management of the territory, even in the urban context, both for the prevention/maintenance of risks but also for the redevelopment of the landscape which now appears mandatory. The arrangements with Naturalistic Engineering techniques, and more generally those NBS, lend themselves well to a positive and sustainable approach for the mitigation of hydrogeological risk and environmental redevelopment in urban and peri-urban areas”: concludes Giuseppe Doronzo.
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