Italy's Abruzzo region faces worsening forest fire crisis amid climate emergency

Regional councillors Giovanni Cavallari and Vincenzo Menna warned that the area of forest burned in Abruzzo this summer has already surpassed the total burned in the entire 2025 fire season. They said the climate emergency is forcing Europe to strengthen prevention and response, while the regional government led by President Marco Marsilio has reduced staff, left key positions vacant and failed to increase funding for the Regional Civil Protection Agency. The councillors criticised the purchase of limited‑capacity thermal‑camera systems instead of more advanced satellite monitoring and called for more qualified personnel, efficient equipment and volunteer support.

At the national level, Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, president of the UniVerde Foundation, urged the Italian government to adopt an immediate national climate‑emergency plan coordinated with the EU. He called for an extraordinary parliamentary session to address forest fires, drought, water shortages in municipalities from Piedmont to Lombardy and the broader risk of hydro‑geological disasters, demanding a structured strategy that involves farmers, local administrations and mayors.