SIX YEARS FROM THE FIRST DRAFT, WITH DECREE N. 434 OF 21 DECEMBER 2023, THE MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY SECURITY (MASE) APPROVED THE PNACC, OR THE NATIONAL PLAN FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE. HE EXULTS BUT NOT TOO MUCH FAI
The need for this measure is evident: extreme climatic events, increasingly violent and frequent, such as torrential rains, strong winds, droughts and floods, also occur with greater intensity in our country, considered a climatic hot spot.
«This tool – clarifies the vice president FAI Maurizio Rivolta -, it should be the point of reference for many other public project and investment plans, in the sense that it should also serve to evaluate them, precisely in light of the indications that the plan provides. Just by way of example, think of the important resources that are being parceled out in many Alpine and even Apennine areas for ski lift systems and above all for artificial snow in areas and altitudes where climate changes mostly highlight increases in temperatures for much of the winter season which they almost certainly nullify the investment itself, even before modifying the landscape irreversibly. The Adaptation Plan must therefore also take note of changed environmental and climatic situations and consequently rethink projects that could have worked decades ago, but no longer work today.”
Last year alone, the FAI, Italian Environment Fund, recorded serious damage to many of its assets: in May, exceptional storms accompanied by very strong winds and hailstorms never seen before damaged the garden of Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como. In June, the Bosco di San Francesco in Umbria was violently hit byflooding of the Tescio torrent. In July, tornadoes hit the Veneto region Villa of the Bishops, while a violent storm damaged Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan.
A tool to reduce the risks deriving from climate change
The main objective of the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC) is to provide a framework and tool for taking actions to reduce risks arising from climate change and improve the adaptive capacity of socio-economic and natural systems. Since these changes have transversal impacts on ecosystems, populations and human activities, adaptation actions must be transversal, based on solid scientific foundations and supported by an efficient administrative structure, involving all sectors and skills. Unfortunately, such conditions are not always present in the national context.
The main document of the PNACC provides a legal and climate framework of the measure, mapping the environmental critical issues and the impacts of climate change at a national level. The text also lists 361 measures to make various sectors more resilient, including water resources, agriculture, energy, forests, urban settlements, transport and others.
The Plan’s proposals range from improving knowledge and training programs on traditional building techniques to the continuous monitoring of materials and their deterioration, and also include the introduction of tax breaks for the maintenance and protection of heritage and the restoration of and practices linked to traditional rural landscapes.
The national observatory to identify territorial priorities
On the governance front, the Plan provides for the establishment of a national Observatory to identify territorial priorities and monitor the effectiveness of adaptation actions, together with a Forum for discussion between the various subjects and at all levels, to guarantee the involvement of the civil society in the implementation of public policies.
Once the Observatory has been established, the various regional and municipal administrations will have to prepare adaptation strategies and plans, identifying the appropriate measures for each sector and the structure responsible for implementation.
Financing sought
Regarding the financial aspect, the PNACC does not have its own resources, so individual administrations are expected to seek funding through direct and indirect funds to implement adaptation measures. It is essential to evaluate whether the investments envisaged by the PNRR and other instruments can contribute to the implementation of the Plan and ensure that policies to combat and adapt to the climate crisis are a priority in future budget laws.
“To implement all the adaptation measures, however, adequate economic resources are needed, but these are precisely the major absences from the Plan”, it is written in the note. “Resources that should instead be priorities given the extent and consequences of the climate crisis we are experiencing.”
The action of the FAI
The FAI, based on the most authoritative scientific sources, will identify the most exposed territories and potential climate risks for its assets, implementing preventive actions and measures to protect the historical-cultural heritage and the landscape, making them more resilient in the face of the consequences of climate change .
“The FAI is also working on the development of a Climate Change Adaptation Plan to implement the resilience of its assets and create an increasingly detailed risk mapping of the territories in which they are located”.