Disaster Risk Reduction in Italy: A Case History of a High-Risk Landslide

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to provide a short commentary on the risk reduction approach in Italy with special emphasis on landslides, floods and extreme rainfall events. In dealing with this topic, it’s very important to preliminary defined a clear conceptual framework as well as a commonly accepted terminology to adopt in order to avoid misinterpretation and promote a culture of sharing data and experiences among researchers, professionals, stakeholders and any other actors involved in decision making. Therefore, the most important documents on risk reduction and adaptation strategies so far accepted at the international level will be introduced along with some basic concepts on hazard and risk assessment and management. The Italian system of Civil Protection will be then discussed, providing some data on the national meteorological monitoring system, moreover, an outline of the administrative and management structure which copes with risk situations and emergency procedures will be illustrated. The Italian law provides for risk reduction to be achieved by means of the Civil Protection Plan at the municipality level. This document considers all different types of risk affecting the territory and defines the main actions to be taken in order to reduce their impact on the natural, economic and social environment. One of the first attempts to adopt and test this plan in a very high-risk condition due to landslide hazard was carried out in the north-eastern Italian Alps several years ago; therefore, a short description of such experience will be reported in the final section of the paper.