Aree

The indicator describes seismic events that occurred in Italy during the reference year, based on Magnitude values recorded by the National Seismic Network of INGV. In 2024, no destructive earthquakes occurred in Italy. Only one event reached Magnitude 5 in the province of Cosenza, which nonetheless caused no significant surface effects. Additionally, 13 events with Magnitudes between 4 and 4.6 were recorded within Italian territory and across borders up to 100 km away. The number of earthquakes with Magnitude ≥ 2 in 2024 (2,031) is comparable to the number recorded in the previous five years, with a slight decrease in 2021. As usual, most events were concentrated along the Apennine arc, the Eastern Alps, and Eastern Sicily.

According to the collected data, subsidence affects approximately 18% of Italian municipalities, primarily in Northern Italy, particularly in the Po Valley. In Central and Southern Italy, the phenomenon mainly affects coastal plains. The most affected regions are Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, where over 50% of municipalities experience subsidence.

The number of reservoirs classified as Large Dams, according to the Law of October 21, 1994, No. 584 and the subsequent Ministry of Public Works Circular 482/1995, is 529 (as of December 2023). Based on censuses provided by the regions up to March 2024, the total number of water bodies (artificial reservoirs, basins, natural lakes, ponds, marshes, etc.) is 33,646. Information on large dams is complete at the national level. For small reservoirs, censuses or estimates are available for all regions, although in some cases the information is partial and incomplete. It is estimated that at least 40% of these reservoirs contain dam structures.

The indicator provides information regarding cultural heritage exposed to landslide and flood risk along the national territory. There are 40,256 cultural heritage sites at landslide risk, of which 13,243 are in areas with high hazard P3 and very high hazard P4. There are 35,979 cultural heritage sites at risk of flooding in the medium hazard scenario (return periods between 100 and 200 years), and up to 53,844 in the low hazard scenario, which is the maximum expected scenario.