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2nd Report on the State of Natural Capital in Italy 

In Italy, the National Law 221/2015 Environmental measures for promoting green economy and limiting the excessive use of natural resources, has established the adoption of Annual Reports in order to promote measure of physical and economic dimensions of Natural Capital stocks and flows, following the methodologies defined by the United Nations Organization and the European Union, as well as ex ante and ex post assessment of the effects of public policies on Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services.

In 2017, Italy published the First Report on the State of Natural Capital that presents the mapping of ecosystems and the assessment of their conservation status, both at national and eco-regional levels. The first Report provided an initial overview on the state of knowledge and available data useful for ensuring a first approach to the measurement and assessment of the Natural Capital and ecosystem services.

A summary in English is available on the Ministry of the Environment website (click here to get the pdf)

The Second Report on the state of Natural Capital in Italy has been published in February 2018 with significant enrichment of information and data on Natural Capital and ecosystem services. In particular, the biophysical evaluation of terrestrial ecosystems at the regional and regional level has been improved, also with an updates of the state of conservation of some of them. Moreover, the focus on biophysical values of natural capital stocks in the marine ecoregions emphasized the first results of an experimental project of an environmental accounting system for Italian Marine Protected Areas.

Concerning the pressures on natural capital, habitat fragmentation and land use of natural and semi-natural ecosystems are analyzed at national and eco-regional scale, as primary concerns in conservation and functionality of ecosystems. Great attention is devoted to the impact of climate change on the forest ecosystems and to the forest fires and drought, very topical and highly sensitive issues for Italy.

The Report also included:

  • An interaction between natural and cultural capital through an sperimental project on mapping and assessment of cultural ecosystem services in Natural Protected Areas.
  • Biophisical and economic valuation of two Ecosystem Services: erosion control and habitat quality;
  • Scientific literature review on economic valuation of natural capital and ecosystem services in Italy;
  • An exercise to determine the monetary value of carbon sequestration in Italy;
  • The approach tested by the JRC on a European scale with a specific application for Italy that provides an initial framework on biophysical assessment and economic accounting for some Ecosystem Services: crop pollination, recreational services, and water purification.

A particular attention has been dedicated to ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of the impact of public policies on the Natural Capital.

Finally, in the Report are proposed different recommendations on actions and interventions to be undertaken in the short and medium term.

The second Report in Italian is available on the Ministry of the Environment website (click here to get the pdf)

For additional information please see the links below

 

Date: 24/04/2018