Le cronache dell’alluvione e gli interventi nel mondo del diritto

There is strong scientific evidence that climate change is accelerating. Its effects on the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy are becoming increasingly severe and frequent, to the point that extreme weather events can no longer be considered unforeseeable or “fortuitous.†Reflecting this shift, Italian law now requires all businesses to purchase insurance coverage for natural disasters. At the same time, certain areas of the region are no longer safe for human settlement. Delocalization is planned, and those who choose not to relocate may no longer receive compensation for climate-related damages. A new legal tool — the “servitù di allagamento†(flood easement) — allows designated areas to be flooded, when necessary, without formal expropriation. Numerous public interventions are being planned, not only to repair past damage but also to prevent future floods. However, these measures are insufficient for addressing the most critical challenge: coastal zones. Scientific forecasts predict a significant rise in sea levels, particularly threatening the Po River Delta and coastal areas in the provinces of Ferrara and Ravenna, worsened by ongoing land subsidence. Despite this, Italian public authorities appear unwilling to confront the issue clearly. They neither deny the risk nor take meaningful action to address it, missing the opportunity to allocate PNRR (Next Generation EU) funds for coastal adaptation. In contrast, countries like Indonesia are already responding: facing rising sea levels, it has decided to relocate its capital from Jakarta — a city of 30 million people — to a new inland location. Italy does not yet seem ready to face such transformations. One can only hope that it will not take a tragedy to trigger awareness and action.