Italian public policies related to climate and circular economy are overseen and momentum-building by Ispra, the facilitator.
The Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) has published its sustainability report, showcasing significant strides in environmental risk assessment, resource management, and support for public policy.
The comprehensive report, based on over 1 million accesses to the waste register with over 2 million pages visited, covers themes related to the Italian sustainability agenda, including climate change, mobility, urban environment, circular economy, industry, infrastructure, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
One of the key points highlighted in the report is the hydrogeological risk assessment and communication. ISPRA's fourth report (2024 edition) identifies that 19.2% of Italy's national territory is at high risk for landslides and floods, with over 636,000 recorded landslides. This positions Italy among the most exposed European countries to such risks.
ISPRA's data serves as a crucial tool for assessing and managing the physical and financial risks tied to extreme natural events, supporting public policies and strategic environmental planning. The institute also emphasises the importance of understanding landslide phenomena as foundational to effective risk prevention and mitigation policies.
Another significant accomplishment is ISPRA's work in monitoring the environmental impacts of tourism. The institute has developed methodologies to quantify the environmental footprint of tourism, such as a method for calculating water demand per tourist, which estimates an average of 4 litres of drinking water per tourist per day.
The report also presents improvements in coastal and hydrogeological conditions, with more advancing coastal stretches (+30 km) compared to eroding ones, indicating positive trends in beach and coastline sustainability.
In addition to these accomplishments, the report includes 374 technical reports on national interest sites to be reclaimed, 86 instruction reports for integrated environmental authorizations sent to the Ministry of the Environment (Mase), and 76,000 laboratory analyses.
ISPRA's sustainability report provides an overview of the national environmental situation, positioning the institute as a 'facilitator' for public policies due to its institutional functions, human capital, technology, and economic resources.
ISPRA, an institution engaged in technical-scientific activities to support institutions, businesses, and citizens, boasts 1,193 units and 45 technological research areas. The report does not, however, provide specific details about the sites to be reclaimed or the integrated environmental authorizations.
In summary, ISPRA's sustainability accomplishments are characterised by rigorous environmental risk analysis, integration of data into policy and finance frameworks, innovative resource demand measurement especially in tourism, and documented improvements in environmental conditions, contributing to Italy's resilience and resource sustainability.
[1] ISPRA (2024). Fourth Report on Hydrogeological Risk Assessment and Communication. [2] ISPRA (2024). Sustainability Report 2024. [3] ISPRA (2024). Monitoring Environmental Impacts of Tourism. [4] ISPRA (2024). Improvements in Coastal and Hydrogeological Conditions.
- The work conducted by ISPRA, as detailed in the Sustainability Report 2024 (ISPRA, 2024), includes a focus on climate change and environmental science, specifically in the area of hydrogeological risk assessment and communication, which is instrumental in shaping policy-and-legislation related to disaster management and resilience.
- In the realm of science and environmental protection, ISPRA also excels in the field of environmental impact assessments, notably in the monitoring of tourism's environmental footprint, as demonstrated by the Monitoring Environmental Impacts of Tourism report (ISPRA, 2024). This research contributes to the general-news discourse on resource management and sustainability.
- The Fourth Report on Hydrogeological Risk Assessment and Communication (ISPRA, 2024) and the Improvements in Coastal and Hydrogeological Conditions report (ISPRA, 2024) underscore ISPRA's commitment to environmental science in policy-and-legislation formulation, particularly when addressing climate change and ensuring the well-being of Italy's coastal areas and ecosystems.
