Sardinia is among the most vulnerable regions in the face of climate change, second in Italy for calamitous events linked to drought, 9 , after Sicily, which recorded 16 according to the Legambiente Città Clima report.

Drought and extreme heat – in 2024 the average temperature increase is 1.8 degrees compared to the last 45 years – have seriously damaged livestock and agricultural land , while in spring and summer there were severe limits on the water supply in agriculture so as not to impact residents and tourists. Bees have also been put to the test, with honey harvests at historic lows.

"Serious damage to the ecosystem", says Marta Battaglia, president of Legambiente Sardegna . Trees "weakened" by aridity have become "more susceptible to attack by pathogens" , implementing "defensive strategies that have changed the face of woods and forests, altering the usual landscapes ".

«Unacceptable» is also what happened last summer, when the Island was forced to «choose towards which sectors to reduce the availability of water to limit the impact on local economies» . The effects of climate change, in short, are «devastating» and it is essential «to implement concrete policies and actions for the drastic reduction of CO emissions».

"The Città Clima report - highlights Giorgio Querzoli, scientific director of Legambiente Sardegna - once again photographs the constant increase in extreme events". And effective "adaptation" actions are also urgently needed, fundamental for example " drastically reducing losses along the water network and reducing waste by reusing waste water for irrigation purposes ".

The situation of the reservoirs , on the other hand, is dramatic: as of November 30, they were 39.35% full, more than 10 percent compared to the situation in 2023 , which was already defined as serious. And if we add to this that the leaks in the Sardinian water network cause the dispersion of 51% of the water , the omelette is done.

(Unioneonline/L)

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