Why Italy’s floods are so bad — and the plan to stop them
Deadly flooding in Emilia-Romagna has led to claims the crisis was man-made
The devastating floods in northeastern Italy that claimed at least 14 lives have prompted a debate about why the country has been so badly hit and how it can protect itself from worsening weather.
The floods in Emilia-Romagna have caused billions of euros worth of damage and an estimated 15,000 people were evacuated.
Italy has faced numerous environmental crises in recent years. Last year, 12 people died in a landslide caused by heavy rainfall, 11 died in flooding in September and an avalanche in the Alps during a heatwave claimed another 11 lives.
The number of extreme weather events recorded last summer was five times the amount registered a decade ago, and included tornadoes and giant hailstones, according to Coldiretti, a farmers’ lobby group.
Italian
