[A Publication From Our CESI Partner]
Infrastructure and Environment: Are We Investing in Prevention?
In this issue, we turn our attention to concerns that affect not only the energy sector but a multitude of industries. Our Group has plenty of experience regarding hydrogeological instability and the solutions that can be implemented to prevent it.
Italy is a wonderful yet fragile country. However, it is exposed to risk by its very nature due to its unique geological layout and atypical temperatures. This mix of elements will continue to produce serious consequences unless a new model of sustainable development is rapidly adopted to reduce impact and strengthen environmental resilience.
Research from Italian Institute for Environmental Protection (ISPRA) shows that 94% of Italian municipalities are at risk of hydrogeological instability. And notwithstanding this, many local authorities have approved works that weaken natural environmental defenses, further adding to this critical situation.
Therefore, in this new issue of Energy Journal, we concentrate on understanding how existing infrastructure may best be managed to make it more resilient to climate impact, both in terms of mitigation and as a consequence of adaptation strategy. We begin by analyzing how climate change acts as a risk factor for buildings, urban centers, and other works. The Top Story emphasizes the fundamental role that will be played by satellite data collection and so-called “climatic intelligence.” The information that we gather from the observation and monitoring of the planet are indispensable to prevent and manage hydrogeological and seismic events.
In addition, in Opinions, we dive deeper into the current context and the options to safeguard the environment by interviewing two experts. Stefano Laporta, President of ISPRA and SNPA, explains how climate change affects hydrogeological instability in Italy and what solutions have been fielded over the past decade. Giuseppe Spilotro, a Professor of Applied Geology and Hydrogeological Risk Expert, illustrates hydrogeological instability’s economic and social implications and how the phenomenon can be addressed in terms of climate change.
You can access every article (and more!) on the new CESI Energy Journal.