Since 2010, bad weather has claimed 264 victims in Italy, nine only in the year that is ending, characterized by 187 extreme weather events. And Sardinia is, unfortunately, one of the most affected areas.
The data is disseminated by a report from the Legambiente Cittàclima Observatory. According to the association's budget, created in collaboration with Unipol and with the scientific contribution of the Enel Foundation, the island is, as mentioned, the region that has paid the most dramatic toll, together with Sicily, Lombardy, Lazio, Campania and Veneto , while - at the city level - the greatest damage was recorded in Rome, Naples, Catania, Palermo and Milan.
In detail, in our country in just over ten years there have been 1,181 meteorological phenomena that have caused damage to the territory with 637 municipalities where significant events have been recorded, 8% of the total.
To these data are added the over 27 thousand people evacuated, due to landslides and floods between 2016 and 2020.
Legambiente therefore asks the Government "to approve the national adaptation plan, to set priorities and direct resources towards truly useful actions for the safety and redevelopment of Italian cities and territories".
The urgency is dictated by the numbers: the environmental organization notes that in the last decade, there have been 97 cases of flooding from heavy rain, 46 cases of damage from tornadoes, 13 cases of landslides caused by heavy rain , 11 cases of river flooding, 9 of damage from prolonged drought, 8 cases of damage to infrastructure and 3 of damage to the historical heritage from heavy rains. Compared to 2020, damage from intense hailstorms increased in the last year (17 compared to 9 in 2020) and landslides from heavy rains (13 compared to 10 in 2020), while the data on flooding was at the same record level (97 in 2021). and 102 in 2020).
Among the cities most affected during this year, Rome stands out in first place with 9 extreme events, followed by Naples with 5, Catania with 4, Palermo and Milan with 2.
At the regional level, in the same period of time considered, Sicily and Lombardy lead the ranking with 30 and 23 extreme events. Also relevant are the cases of Campania with 16 events, of Veneto and Sardinia with 14 events , of Lazio with 13 events, of Piedmont with 12 and of Liguria with 11.
According to Legambiente, 2021 was therefore a year of red code for the climate, marked by a summer that recorded record temperatures in Europe (in Italy in Syracuse on 11 August they reached 48.8 degrees), but also from intense rains, severe drought, violent tornadoes and the passage of the fatal medicane Apollo.
"Even 2021 was a year with terrible impacts all over the world and in our country. - declares Edoardo Zanchini, vice president of Legambiente - These numbers remind us how much Italian cities need urgent adaptation to a climate that makes squares, roads and railway lines increasingly dangerous during heavy rains and houses increasingly unlivable during heat waves. Our request to the Government for the new year is that the national climate adaptation plan is finally approved, as they have done all the other major European countries, with clear priorities for intervention in order to direct national resources and the 2.5 billion euros envisaged by the PNRR towards truly useful interventions for safety and the redevelopment of Italian cities and territories ".
(Unioneonline / lf)