CULTURAL HERITAGE EXPOSED TO LANDSLIDES AND FLOODS

    Descrizione 1
    Update date
    Authors

    Carla Iadanza, Alessandro Trigila, Gianluigi Di Paola

    Abstract
    Immagine
    Abstract

    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.

    Description

    The indicator provides information on cultural heritage at landslide and flood risk along the national territory. The estimation is carried out using the following input data: a) architectural, monumental, and archaeological heritage sites from the VIR (Vincoli In Rete database) managed by ICR (Central Institute for Restoration); b) the ISPRA national mosaic of landslide hazard areas from the River Basin Plans (PAI) harmonized into 5 classes (very high hazard P4, high hazard P3, medium hazard P2, moderate hazard P1, and attention areas AA); c) the ISPRA national mosaic of flood hazard areas with high hazard (return periods between 20 and 50 years, frequent floods), medium hazard (return periods between 100 and 200 years, infrequent floods), and low hazard (low probability of floods or extreme event scenarios), delineated by the District Basin Authorities and by the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano (D.Lgs. 49/2010 transposing the Floods Directive 2007/60/EC).

    Purpose

    To provide a cultural heritage overview at landslide and flood risk in Italy.

    Policy relevance and utility for users
    It is of national scope or it is applicable to environmental issues at the regional level but of national relevance.
    It is simple and easy to interpret.
    It is sensitive to changes occurring in the environment and/or in human activities
    It provides a representative picture of environmental conditions, environmental pressures, and societal responses
    It provides a basis for international comparisons.
    Analytical soundness
    Be based on international standards and international consensus about its validity;
    Be theoretically well founded in technical and scientific terms
    Presents reliability and validity of measurement and data collection methods
    Spatial comparability
    Measurability (data)
    Adequately documented and of known quality
    Updated at regular intervals in accordance with reliable procedures
    Readily available or made available at a reasonable cost/benefit ratio
    An “adequate” spatial coverage
    An “appropriate” temporal coverage
    Main regulatory references and objectives

    Collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of data on soil protection and hydrogeological instability for the entire national territory (art. 55 of Legislative Decree 152/2006 “Environmental regulations”; D.L. 180/98 “Sarno Decree” converted into Law 267/1998, DPCM of 29/09/98  -Guidelines and Coordination Act, Law 365/00).

    DPSIR
    State
    Impact
    Indicator type
    Descriptive (A)
    References

    Trigila A., Iadanza C., Lastoria B., Bussettini M., Barbano A. (2021) Dissesto idrogeologico in Italia: pericolosità e indicatori di rischio - Edizione 2021. ISPRA, Rapporti 356/2021.

    Limitations

    -

    Further actions

    -

    Frequenza di rilevazione dei dati
    Annuale
    Fonte dei dati
    Autorità di Bacino
    ICR (Istituto Centrale per il Restauro)
    ISPRA
    Province Autonome
    Data availabilty

    Architectural, monumental and archaeological assets are derived from the VIR - Vincoli In Rete database maintained by ICR (Central Institute for Restoration) (http://vincoliinrete.beniculturali.it/VincoliInRete/vir/utente/login). The National Mosaics of Landslide and Hydraulic Hazard, prepared by ISPRA, are published on the national IdroGEO platform (https://idrogeo.isprambiente.it/).

    Spatial coverage

    National, Regional, Municipalities

    Time coverage

    2023

    Processing methodology

    The risk estimation was carried out by intersecting, in a GIS environment, the points of the Cultural Heritage VIR – ICR buffered at 30 m in order to approximate the physical dimensions of the heritage sites, with the mosaics of landslide hazard areas from the River Basin Plans (PAI) and flood hazard areas (D.Lgs. 49/2010). The landslide hazard areas from the PAI include both the landslides already occurred and areas of possible evolution of phenomena or potentially susceptible to new landslides. Vulnerability, which represents the degree of damage to the element at risk during an event (ranging from 0 = no damage to 1 = total loss), has been conservatively set to 1. A more detailed assessment would require, in addition to the knowledge of the magnitude of the phenomena, a specific vulnerability assessment for each exposed heritage site regarding both landslide and flood risks. The cultural heritage at risk of landslides in Italy is processed based on the VIR - ICR database (version of October 12, 2023) and the national mosaic of landslide hazard (v. 4.0 – 2020-2021). Cultural heritage at flooding risk in Italy is processed based on the VIR - ICR database (version of October 12, 2023) and the national mosaic of hydraulic hazard (v. 5.0 – 2020).

    Update frequency
    Year
    Qualità dell'informazione

    The indicator provides a basis for international comparisons and satisfies the need for information on Italian cultural heritage exposed to landslides and floods. The spatial comparability is excellent, given the standardization of the methodology.

    State
    Undefinable
    Trend
    Undefinable
    State assessment/description

    The cultural heritages at landslide risk amounts to 40,256, of which 13,243 are in areas with high P3 and very high P4 hazard levels. The cultural heritages at flood risk is 35,979 in the medium hydraulic hazard scenario (return periods between 100 and 200 years) reaches 53,844 in the low hydraulic hazard scenario, which represents the maximum expected scenario.

    Trend assessment/description

    It is not possible to define a trend, as the number of cultural heritage sites variations at landslides and floods risk, compared to previous updates of the Environmental Indicators Database Yearbook, are mainly related to the integration/revision of the VIR - ICR cultural heritage database and the integration/revision of the landslide and hydraulic hazard area maps (District Basin Authorities), rather than to the updating of the aforementioned maps with recent landslide or flood events.

    Comments

    The cultural heritages at landslide risk in Italy amounts to 40,256, or 17.8% of the total (Table 1, Figure 1). If considering the high P3 and very high P4 hazard classes, the exposed cultural heritage sites are 13,243, or 5.8%. The highest number of cultural heritage sites at risk from landslides in P3 and P4 hazard areas is recorded in Campania, Tuscany, Marche, Emilia-Romagna, and Lazio.

    Cultural heritage at flooding risk in Italy amounts to 17,717 (7.8% of the total) in high hydraulic hazard scenario (return period between 20 and 50 years), 35,979 (15.9%) in medium hydraulic hazard scenario (return period between 100 and 200 years), and reaches 53,844 (23.8%) in low hydraulic hazard scenario (Table 2, Figure 2). The latter represents the maximum expected scenario, meaning the largest possible extension of flood-prone areas in Italy. Therefore, the data for cultural heritage at risk in the three scenarios should not be summed. The highest number of cultural heritage sites at risk from flooding in the medium scenario is found in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Tuscany, and Liguria.

    Data
    Headline

    Tabella 1: Beni culturali a rischio frane su base regionale (2023)

    Data source

    ISPRA

    Headline

    Tabella 2: Beni culturali a rischio alluvioni su base regionale (2023)

    Data source

    ISPRA

    Note

    * Le aree a pericolosità idraulica elevata non sono disponibili per il territorio della ex Autorità di Bacino Regionale delle Marche; il dato della Regione Marche è stato elaborato sul 12% del territorio che non ricade nell’ex AdB Marche.
    ** Lo scenario a pericolosità bassa rappresenta lo scenario massimo atteso ovvero la massima estensione delle aree inondabili in Italia. I dati relativi ai tre scenari non vanno quindi sommati.

    Thumbnail
    Headline

    Figura 1: Beni culturali a rischio frane in aree a pericolosità PAI

    Data source

    ISPRA

    Thumbnail
    Headline

    Figura 2: Beni culturali a rischio alluvioni in aree a pericolosità media

    Data source

    ISPRA

    English