(ANSA) - Rome, February 12 - Some six million people live in
areas at risk of landslides and flooding in Italy, according to
a report Wednesday by the environmental association Legambiente
and the Italian Civil Protection Department.
Recent floods resulting in massive damage and casualties
following torrential rainfall in regions including Sardinia,
Tuscany and Liguria have drawn greater attention to the issue.
The report, Ecosistema a Rischio (Ecosystem at Risk),
analyzed the measures taken to reduce hydrogeological risks by
over 1,500 Italian municipalities prone to landslides and
The report stated that, despite several natural disasters
occurring in certain areas, "over the past decade new buildings
have been put up in areas at risk for landslides and flooding"
in 186 of the municipalities analyzed.
In 242 administrative areas "sensitive facilities such as
schools and hospitals have been built in areas at
Few municipalities hold informational activities or drills
to prepare citizens for emergencies, and over 600 municipalities
fall below minimum standards in prevention, information and
emergency planning, says the report.
Among regional capitals, Bolzano was praised for avoiding
construction in high-risk areas and the organization of the
local civil protection unit.
Legambiente chief Vittorio Cogliati Dezza said that despite
the heavy toll on Italy by floods and landslides every year,
"policies to mitigate their effects have failed to spread" and
resources serve more as stopgap measures to "buffer damages"
than to plan how to best manage such situations.