Italy continues to cement itself, devouring every second 2.3 square meters of soil and leaving behind a trail of asphalt and concrete. This is underlined by ISPRA, the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, which in its latest report on land use tells us that in 2023, 72.5 km² of land have been transformed into urbanized areas, an extension equal to the total surface area of buildings in Turin, Bologna and Florence. This data, a slight decrease compared to that published last year, exceeds the average of the last ten years (68.7 km²) and represents a hemorrhage that shows no signs of stopping, putting our natural heritage is at risk.
But what are the causes of this hunger for soil? THE’uncontrolled urban expansionthe proliferation of industrial warehouses and shopping centers, the construction of new infrastructures, often useless and harmful. To this we add one poor redevelopment culturewhich leads to preferring the construction of new structures rather than the recovery of the existing one, with a consequent waste of resources and territory. Suffice it to say that the restoration of natural areas it was only 8 km²largely due to the recovery of construction site areas, against a loss of soil of 72.5 km².
The consequences of this overbuilding are there for all to see: biodiversity is reduced, natural habitats are destroyed, the hydrogeological risk increaseswith floods and landslides causing increasingly significant damage in an area that is no longer able to absorb rainfall. The areas of medium hydraulic danger have increased by over 1,100 hectareswhile those at risk from landslides amount to 530 hectares. Let’s not forget the economic cost: the loss of ecosystem services, such as the soil’s ability to absorb and retain water as well as regulate the hydrological cycle, it costs Italy over 400 million euros per year. If we consider the soil loss that occurred between 2006 and 2023, the economic impact of land consumption it is estimated between 7 and 9 billion euros per yearwith an absolute loss of natural capital ranging between 19 and 25 billion euros. Added to this is another fact that should make us reflect: less than a third of the urban population can reach a public green area of at least half a hectare within 300 meters on foot.
Lombardy, Veneto and Campania are the black jerseys of the rankingwith the highest percentage of land consumed, +780 hectares, +891 hectares and +643 hectares respectively. To date, 70% of new land consumption occurs in municipalities classified as urban according to the recent European regulation on nature restoration (Nature Restoration Law).
But not all the news is bad. Trieste, Bareggio (MI) and Massa Fermana (FM) they climb onto the podium of the “Soil saving” municipalities for 2024, a distinction that rewards local administrations that have been able to contain soil transformations.
There are also positive signs at the regional level. There Valle d’Aosta and Liguria they are the only regions that have kept land consumption below 50 hectares. An encouraging result that demonstrates how land protection can be compatible with economic development. Conversely, the largest increases in land consumption over the last year occurred in Veneto (+891 hectares), Emilia-Romagna (+815), which is first for net land consumption, Lombardy (+780), Campania (+643), Piedmont (+553) and Sicily (+521).
To reverse the trend, it is essential to invest in urban redevelopment, recovering abandoned areas and renovating existing buildings, avoiding building new structures. At the same time, it is crucial to encourage sustainable agriculture that respect the soil and biodiversity, avoiding the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
As underlined in the ISPRA report, “soil is the upper layer of the earth’s crust, made up of mineral components, organic matter, water, air and living organisms and represents the interface between land, air and water, hosting a large part of the biosphere. It is a vital, limited, non-renewable and irreplaceable resource“.
