1 / 18

The Italian Case

Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies. The Italian Case. Valentino Piana Speech delivered in Ankara, 19th November 2009. Contents. 1. A simple scheme of climate change. 2. The challenge of climate change in Italy. 3. Seventeen likely impacts of climate change.

clayton-browning
Download Presentation

The Italian Case

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies The Italian Case Valentino Piana Speech delivered in Ankara, 19th November 2009

  2. Contents 1. A simple scheme of climate change 2. The challenge of climate change in Italy 3. Seventeen likely impacts of climate change 4. The families of adaptation strategies 4.1. Framework strategies 4.2. Strategies to strengthen local responseby protecting key assets 4.3. Strategies for the rapid system-wide intervention 4.4. Saving and substituting scarcer resources 5. Conclusions www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  3. 1. A simple scheme of climate change Density/Value Additional stressors Our adaption from Isoard, Grothmann and Zebisch, 2008. www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  4. 2. The challenge of climate change in Italy 4 5 1 Perceived as a long-term and remote phenomenon 2 Low priority in economic and political terms Specific aspects of climate change overemphasised while others neglected 3 4 Scattered competences 4 Framed by other issues, not framing other issues www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  5. 2. The challenge of climate change in Italy Climate change exacerbates existing problems generates entirely new ones It provokes widely differentiated effects in term of timing (immediate, medium-term and long-term) and in terms of geographical areas and economic sectors. www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  6. 3. Seventeen likely impacts of climate change Hydro-geological vulnerable zones Polluted urban centres hit by heat waves Alpine region Coastal zones Water scarsity and desertification www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  7. 4. The families of adaptation strategies 4.1. Framework strategies 4.2. Strategies to strengthen local responseby protecting key assets 4.3. Strategies for the rapid sistem-wide intervention 4.4. Saving and substituting scarcer resources www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  8. 4.1. Framework strategies Coherent and extensive list of measures, expliciting objectives, stakeholders, activities, budget and responsibilities Definition All the country, identifying areas at risks, establishing priorities and balances Coverage PROS CONS • Systemic approach • Full coverage of issues • No surprises • International comparability • Long consultations • Difficulties in agreement • High total costs foreseen for action • Risk to receive funding only for the process, not for the measures National Adaptation Strategy, National Program for the Fight to Drought and Desertification Examples www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  9. 4.1. Framework strategies 1 National Adaptation Strategy Italy is going to lay down a National Adaptation Strategy Source: PEER (2009) www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  10. 4.1. Framework strategies 2 National Program for the Fight to Drought and Desertification CIPE deliberation n. 229 - 21st December 1999 Legal foundation It provides a framework for regional intervention, use of European Funds and for sectoral planning. Kind of intervention Workshops, awareness raising events Example of direct activities 0.5 millions Euro in 2001 Costs www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  11. 4.2. Strategies to strengthen local resilience by protecting key assets Concentrated efforts to protect small areas from specific risks Definition Key assets, as historical cities, highly profitable human activities, etc. Coverage PROS CONS • Effective in the area and for the problem under focus • Mobilization of resources • Interest of solution providers • Possible negative externalities outside the area and on other environmental aspects • High cost per square km • Difficult to replicate for non-human ecosystems and for non-highly profitable activities Examples MOSE Project in Venise www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  12. 4.2. Strategies to strengthen local resilience by protecting key assets MOSE Project in Venise Sea level rising and floods in Venice Problem Massive infrastructure and complex works. Kind of intervention Extreme weather event in 1966 giving rise to a long debate on solutions. Project presented in 1981. After criticisms, a new version presented in 1989. First financial commitment in 2002. First stone in 2003. On-going contentious issue. Expected completion: 2012-2014. Timing Estimated €4,272 million, committed 3240 millions. Costs www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  13. 4.3. Strategies for the rapid system-wide intervention Monitoring and alert system with well-defined procedure of mobilization on-site and from all over the country(ies) Definition Disaster-prone areas, hit or at immediate risk Coverage PROS CONS • Wide ex-ante coverage • Effective mobilization • Solidarity across country(ies) • Disaster impact reduction • Levelled off expenditure over time • Insurance-like effects • Highly demanding in central and local competences • Raising awareness of risks (sometimes excessively) • Keep resources always allocated Examples Civil defence system www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  14. 4.3. Strategies for the rapid sistem-wide intervention Civil defence system National Law 225 - 24th February 1992, modified by the Constitutional Law n. 3 - 18th October 2001 Legal foundation Integrated multi-level system where not only a centralized “military-like” body is ready to enter into action, but local-level units of volunteers and several bodies responds to mayors and higher-level political responsible people. Kind of intervention Monitoring the structural conditions of vulnerability, alert about the possibilty of disaster of a wide range of sources (fire, floods, landslides) and immediate reaction Activities Departments under the national and regional governments, army, fire brigades, forestry militia, Red Cross, national healthcare system, citizen organizations, etc. Participating bodies www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  15. 4.4. Saving and substituting scarcer resources Behavioural, technological and infrastructural change to reduce inputs in production and consumption Definition Water, energy, soil Coverage PROS CONS • Potential profitability due to savings • Homogeneity and standardization of solutions • Fast implementation, at least In principle • Underestimation of rigidities in habits and technological lock-ins • Economic instruments (e.g. higher price of the resource) not always effective and politically feasible • They may require further R&D Examples Basin and Regional plans for saving water www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  16. 4.4. Saving and substituting scarcer resources Regional plans for saving water Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EU; National Law 13/2009; Regional Development plans Legal foundation Multi-yearly program of extraordinary and ordinary maintenance of water pipelines, agreements with trade associations to spread technologies, pilot project of new technologies, educational programs for population and children, price modifications Kind of intervention National and regional authorities, water basin authorities, schools Participating bodies www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  17. 5. Conclusions Climate change is now and for the future, probably faster than many policymakers expect. Planning and executing adaptation measures can be long and difficult.Italy is moving from a reactive to a pro-active approach and is keen to exchanges of experience with all countries of the Mediterranean Sea. www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

  18. For further information and support feel free to contact us! Valentino Piana <director@economicswebinstitute.org> Mobile phone: +39 349 36 10 476 Thank you for your kind attention. www.economicswebinstitute.org Cutting-edge research & implementation consulting

More Related