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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN ITALY

What effects does it have globally? One of the main global impacts that Italy's climate change has caused is the effect it's had on their politics, which end up not only effecting Italy but also all other countries involved with them. According to Italian Political Science article, "...the Italian political system long exhibited a notable lack of attention to climate change issues, both at the political level and within public discourse and socio-political research..." Their government has also caused issues in European aliiances with countries such as France, when theit views on Europe as a whole don't align.

How has climate change impacted Italy? Climate change is causing serious problems in Italy, like rising temperatures, melting glaciers, and flooding. Droughts and heatwaves make it harder to grow crops like olives and grapes, while animals are losing their habitats. People are also affected by extreme heat and water shortages. This is heavily impacting the population of Italy and it's only getting worse with time.

According to the National Library of Medicine, " Italy was the European country with the highest number of recorded wildfires and largest burnt areas in 2021 (EFFIS, 2021). When considering the impact of climate change on the Italian population, one needs to consider other concomitant factors, such as the high prevalence of elderly people (who are more vulnerable to heat and heatwaves), the economic reliance on agriculture and tourism – highly sensitive to climate change – and the high risk of other natural hazards such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions." This doesn't only impact the climate, but also the people who live there and call Itatly home.

What is currently being done to help combat or remedy the situation in Italy? Italy is working on solutions to combat climate change, including looking into things such as renewable energy and sustainable agriculture to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Projects like the MOSE flood barrier system in Venice aim to protect cities from rising sea levels and flooding. The country is also promoting reforestation and water conservation to help bring awareness to the desertification and droughts.

Where else in the world is experiencing a similar form of climate change? Countries like Spain and Greece, are experiencing similar impacts of climate change, including increasing temperatures, droughts, and loss of biodiversity. Places in southeast Asia are also facing severe threats from sea level rise and increased flooding. These different areas, thought varying in location, are dealing with many of the same issues.

Scholarly resources:

file:///Users/kadenceeaton/Downloads/IPS_180301_Biancalana.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9009940/