Ispra measures land degradation and the loss of ecosystem services caused by concrete in Italian cities. The ranking.

Ispra's 2021 report "Consumo di suolo, dinamiche territoriali e servizi ecosistemi" demonstrates a significant increase in artificial surfaces compared to natural ones. The report reveals that Italian cities are consuming too much natural land with concrete, with serious consequences for land degradation.

Land consumption serves to meet the needs of the urban population, but it also leads to the loss of fundamental environmental resources, such as agricultural land. Moreover, natural soil is essential for environmental and human wellbeing, as it regulates the water cycle and the climate, as well as constituting the habitat of living organisms.

Its consumption increases the risk of floods, landslides and seismic activity, causing ecological and economic damage. In addition to the loss of cultivable land and reduced productivity of raw materials, the "hidden costs" of land artificialisation and soil sealing must also be taken into account, amounting to approximately 8 billion euros per year.

Italian cities consuming the most land: the ranking

Ispra's report on land consumption states that "between 2006 and 2021, Italy lost 1,153 km² of natural or semi-natural land due to urban expansion and its associated transformations, at an average of 77 km² per year."

While Lombardy is the region with the highest land consumption over the past year, Rome was confirmed as the metropolitan city with the largest area of land consumed in 2021, followed by Ravenna and Vicenza.

The ranking of net annual increase in land consumption in hectares (ha):

• Rome, 95.05 ha;
• Ravenna, 68.66 ha;
• Vicenza, 42.28 ha;
• Reggio nell'Emilia, 35.44 ha;
• Catania, 34.62 ha;
• Novara, 34.58 ha;
• Desenzano del Garda, 33.77 ha;
• Palo del Colle, 32.37 ha.

The in-depth piece on this story by Giorgia Bonamoneta is on Money.it