Italy forest officials call for year-round maintenance to prevent wildfires

Italian regional representatives and labor unions are calling for a fundamental shift in forest management and wildfire prevention strategies. In Sicily, the UGL union has urged the regional administration to move away from a model of perpetual emergency response. Union Secretary Carmelo Giuffrida argued that forestry workers should be employed year-round to ensure continuous territorial maintenance, which is essential for preventing fires and mitigating hydrogeological risks, especially as the region faces increased desertification risks due to climate change.

UGL also emphasized that local municipalities must take greater responsibility for land management, noting that many fires originate in uncultivated municipal or private lands. The union is requesting a new management model focused on generational renewal and stable employment.

In Abruzzo, regional councilor Dino Pepe highlighted the inadequacy of current firefighting methods, which rely heavily on bureaucratic conventions with the Vigili del Fuoco and Carabinieri. Pepe noted that existing funding is insufficient for long-term prevention and criticized the lack of a serious forest policy, suggesting that current approaches fail to account for changing climatic conditions and the lack of maintenance by local authorities.