Urban greenery decline and reforestation challenges in Italy

Italian cities are experiencing a decline in urban greenery due to a combination of legal, financial, and biological pressures. In cities including Rome, Bologna, Florence, and Verona, thousands of trees have been removed. This trend is driven by the expiration of EU PNRR funds on June 30, which municipalities reportedly utilized for tree removal projects, and recent Supreme Court rulings that hold local governments liable for damages caused by unstable trees during storms.

In Rome, biological threats such as the xanthogaleruca luteola beetle have also contributed to the degradation of the urban canopy, specifically targeting elm trees.

Efforts to mitigate these losses through large-scale reforestation projects have faced significant setbacks. A major initiative in Rome and 19 surrounding municipalities, funded by over 40 million euros from the PNRR, has struggled with high mortality rates. In some areas, plant survival rates have been reported at approximately 20% due to the fragility of the plants and insufficient irrigation during planting periods. Unlike previous regional efforts, the PNRR funding framework includes a requirement that failed plantings must be replaced.