We received a speech from Ettore Crobu, president of the Order of Agronomists and Forestry Doctors of the Province of Cagliari.
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Sardinia experienced one of the hottest days on record. On July 17, numerous localities on the island exceeded 45°C, with a peak of 47.5°C in Santa Lucia di Capoterra, followed by 47.3°C in Castiadas – San Pietro, 46.7°C in Macchiareddu, 46.6°C in Flumini Uri (San Vito), 46.3°C in Uta, and 46.1°C in Tertenia. Among the municipalities that exceeded 45°C was Vallermosa, where 45.3°C was recorded, along with Capoterra, Decimomannu, Dorgali, Oliena, Sestu, Villasor, Poggio dei Pini, and Nuraminis.
We're not just facing a meteorological record. These data confirm that climate change is now a reality that Sardinia must confront daily. The consequences affect everyone, but they are particularly hard on the agricultural and forestry sectors, which depend closely on natural balances.
Heat waves, growing water scarcity, extreme weather events, and increased fire risk are profoundly changing our landscape. Agricultural businesses are forced to cope with reduced production, rising management costs, and increasingly difficult planning.
Fires are one of the most devastating effects of this scenario. In addition to the destruction of forests, pastures, and crops, they cause damage that is often less obvious but far more serious: damage to the soil, an irreplaceable natural asset on which the entire agricultural system is based.
Extreme temperatures and the passage of fire accelerate the degradation of organic matter, a key component of soil fertility. It is precisely organic matter that allows soil to retain water, nourish biodiversity, improve soil structure, and support crop productivity. When this resource is progressively depleted, the soil loses resilience, becomes more vulnerable to erosion and drought, and a process that promotes desertification is triggered.
Desertification is not just the advance of the desert, but the progressive loss of the soil's ability to perform its productive, ecological, and environmental functions. It is a silent phenomenon that reduces fertility, compromises agricultural production, alters ecosystems, and makes the land increasingly fragile in the face of extreme weather events.
For this reason, we cannot limit ourselves to responding during emergencies. We need to invest decisively in fire prevention, active management of forestry and rural areas, soil protection, water conservation, and the adoption of agronomic practices capable of increasing the soil's organic matter content.
Sardinia has the technical skills, professionalism, and knowledge to address this challenge. Agronomists and Forestry Specialists are called upon to contribute to land-use planning, the sustainable management of natural resources, and helping farms adopt increasingly climate-resilient production models.
The record temperatures recorded in recent days should be a wake-up call, but also a stimulus to action. Protecting soil, water, and forestry isn't just a matter for agriculture: it's a matter for the future of Sardinia.
Today, more than ever, it is essential to understand that protecting soil means protecting our ability to produce food, conserve the landscape, defend biodiversity, and pass on to future generations a living and productive land. Only through a shared vision, grounded in prevention, scientific knowledge, and proper land management, will it be possible to address one of the greatest challenges of our time.
