Associations and professional associations write to the prime minister candidates for the upcoming elections, "Managing hydrogeological risk must be a priority".
Three concrete commitments for the mitigation of hydrogeological risk to be implemented from the first days of government. This is the request addressed to the prime minister candidates vying for the next legislative elections by a wide alliance of environmental and trade associations and national councils of professional orders, promoter in recent days of a national conference on hydrogeological risk.
"We believe it is necessary to address the issue under three priority aspects - write the signatories of the aforementioned coalition in the open letter to the premier candidates released today - regulatory simplification for the government and maintenance of the territory, the procurement and continuity of economic resources and a new approach scientific technician to the problem, adapted to the novelties and changes taking place. We write to you - they add - convinced that putting the country and the populations in a position to manage hydrogeological risk must be a priority in your government program, and that this will not only produce safety and certain savings in resources, but also an excellent opportunity of economic and employment revival in the territories ".
The topics indicated are those on which the same organizations are working to respond effectively to the repeated emergencies related to hydrogeological risk in our country and to formulate a concrete and detailed work proposal in the coming months, anticipated in the letter with the request for the three commitments. to be made operational urgently:
1) to work towards a better coordination of the existing legislation and a clear identification of the competences and the system of responsibilities, starting with the District Authorities;
2) return to guaranteeing adequate and continuous economic resources, for which it will be necessary to find appropriate financial mechanisms and restore those envisaged in the past. In fact, 2010 was the last year that saw the inclusion in the Budget of resources intended for the mitigation of hydrogeological risk and since 2003 the State has no longer financed the maintenance of river basins.
3) implement the multidisciplinary approach of the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive, promoting the active participation of all interested parties, giving priority no longer to conventional defense works but to measures that restore more space to rivers and more generally bring both risk reduction and benefits to the environment.
"The year that has just ended - the letter continues - highlighted unequivocally that the consequences of climate change on a territory made dramatically vulnerable by the rampant consumption of soil and lack of or incorrect maintenance, today constitute an element from which it can no longer be ignored. Therefore, urgent and effective action is needed to mitigate the risk, establishing tools and priorities for intervention and adequate economic resources, without forgetting the information and training activities of citizens on these issues. An approach that goes beyond the emergency logic that has characterized the last ten years, putting in place an integrated policy that involves all the interested parties to move from the logic of reparation to that of prevention, with undoubted positive consequences also on the economic level. "
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Dear Candidate,
on 6 February the main environmental and trade associations, the national councils of professional orders, the mayors and the world of technicians and research promoted the national conference on hydrogeological risk, which was attended by 300 citizens, administrators, researchers, technicians and experts in the sector, with the participation of the Minister of the Environment Corrado Clini, and have formed a broad and transversal alliance by undertaking a common path of discussion and comparison to respond effectively to repeated emergencies related to hydrogeological risk in our country.
The year that has just ended has unequivocally highlighted that the consequences of climate change on a territory made dramatically vulnerable by the rampant consumption of soil and lack of or incorrect maintenance, today constitute an element that can no longer be ignored. Therefore, urgent and effective action is needed to mitigate the risk, establishing tools and priorities for intervention and adequate economic resources, without forgetting the information and training activities of citizens on these issues. An approach that goes beyond the emergency logic that has characterized the last ten years, putting in place an integrated policy that involves all the interested parties to move from the logic of reparation to that of prevention, with undoubted positive consequences also on the economic level.
We believe it is necessary to address the issue under three priority aspects: regulatory simplification for the government and maintenance of the territory, the procurement and continuity of economic resources and a new technical-scientific approach to the problem, adapted to the novelties and changes taking place. These are the issues on which the organizations that promoted the National Conference are working to formulate a concrete and detailed work proposal in the coming months, which we anticipate in the meantime with the request for three concrete commitments to be implemented from the first days of government:
1) to work towards a better coordination of the existing legislation and a clear identification of the competences and the system of responsibilities, starting with the District Authorities;
2) return to guaranteeing adequate and continuous economic resources, for which it will be necessary to find appropriate financial mechanisms and restore those envisaged in the past. In fact, 2010 was the last year that saw the inclusion in the Budget of resources intended for the mitigation of hydrogeological risk and since 2003 the State has no longer financed the maintenance of river basins.
3) implement the multidisciplinary approach of the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive, promoting the active participation of all interested parties, giving priority no longer to conventional defense works but to measures that restore more space to rivers and more generally bring both risk reduction and benefits to the environment.
We are writing to you convinced that putting the country and its populations in a position to manage hydrogeological risk must be a priority in your government program, and that this will not only produce security and a certain saving of resources, but also an excellent opportunity for economic revitalization. and employment in the territories.
With the hope that you will respond to our request and aware that today it is no longer possible to postpone the actions necessary to stop the disasters and tragedies that are repeated every year in our country due to landslides and floods, we offer you our most kind regards.
Rome, February 14 2013
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The press office
Legambiente, Coldiretti, Anci, National Council of Geologists, National Council of Architects, National Council of Agronomists and Foresters, National Council of Engineers, National Council of Surveyors, Inu, Ance, Anbi, WWF, Italian Touring Club, Slow Food Italy, Cirf, Aipin, Sigea, Aiab, National table of river contracts Ag21 Italy, Federparchi, Gruppo183, Arcicaccia
(February 15, 2013)