Drought could worsen the damage from the wave of bad weather that is affecting almost all of Italy. It seems like a paradox, but according to experts it is exactly like that. And Sardinia is one of the regions "under special observation".
The alarm was raised by the Italian Society of Environmental Geology (Sigea) . "Autumn has always been characterized by intense rainfall in our country, but climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of the phenomena," explains Antonello Fiore , geologist and president of the association. "Human interventions are also amplifying the effects on the territory: according to Ispra data, in Italy more than two square meters of soil are consumed every second. For this reason, the entire national territory is now considered at risk."
In the North and Center, attention is focused on large rivers. But dangers can also come from "small waterways that are found where there are mountains close to the coastline, such as in Sardinia, Liguria, Sicily, Calabria and Puglia."
In particular on the Island and in other "small hydrographic basins" - the expert underlines - "the water moves rapidly towards the sea, not allowing the necessary time to predict the arrival of the flood wave".
But what is worsening the risks in Sardinia and the rest of the South is, as mentioned, the drought: «The lack of water in recent months may have weakened the vegetation cover, which plays a protective role for the soil, and the ground may be more erodible: so there is a risk of adding mud to the water, which increases the violence with which things are swept away».
As for the forecast, the Tyrrhenian area is currently affected by a weather situation that will also bring widespread and abundant rain to the island , which will continue at least until Sunday, with falling temperatures.
(Unioneonline/lf)
