Drought, desertification, and record temperatures: the Region faces unprecedented climate challenges and needs urgent action for a sustainable future
Abruzzo is in the forefront of the battle against climate change. The region is experiencing an acceleration of extreme phenomena, with rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and a progressive advance of desertification. The data speak for themselves: if urgent action is not taken, the consequences for the environment, water resources and economic activities will be irreversible. Abruzzo is one of the most vulnerable areas in Italy, and projections for the coming decades are far from reassuring.
Ecogest’s Center for Climate Change Studies has presented worrying forecasts, highlighting that Abruzzo is among the six Italian regions at highest risk of extreme weather events. More than 15 percent of its territory is classified as “extreme risk,” with impacts already evident. The Pescarese and Chietino areas are the hardest hit by decreasing rainfall and rising temperatures, further exacerbating the water crisis.
The Mediterranean, which is now one of the “hot spots” of climate change, has seen warming that exceeds the global average by 20 percent, with a drastic decrease in precipitation. This scenario has already begun to undermine economic and social activities in Abruzzo, and future predictions are even more alarming: average temperatures could rise to 22.3°C by the end of the century, with peaks over 37°C for 62 days a year.
The risk is even more serious considering the region’s structural problems, such as lack of modern infrastructure and inadequate maintenance. Water leakage, which is already 42 percent in Italy and even higher in the South, amplifies the difficulty in managing water resources in the most vulnerable areas.
“Our study,” said Valerio Molinari, CCSC president and Ecogest Spa shareholder, “aims to provide concrete data to guide future infrastructure and policy choices. It is crucial to adopt timely policies to address this global emergency. The diagnosis is clear, now it is time to move on to the cure, through scientific innovation and concrete solutions.”
Urgent action for infrastructure
One sector particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change is transportation infrastructure. President Molinari stresses the importance of effective and resilient maintenance through the use of advanced technologies such as online cameras, weather stations, and road load sensors, as well as the planting of native trees to improve infrastructure sustainability.
The fight against climate change requires concrete and immediate efforts. The effects are already visible and require timely responses, both locally and globally. Only through sustainable policies and technological innovation can we hope to mitigate the risks to future generations.