Descrizione 1
Marco D'Antona, Marco Di Leginio, Ines Marinosci
Within the areas included in the EUAP (Official List of Protected Areas), the total soil consumption in 2023 amounted to 58,601 hectares (1.9% of the protected territory). The soil consumption recorded between 2022 and 2023 was nearly 70 hectares. The highest values were observed in Campania (3.8%) and Veneto (3.2%), the only regions exceeding the 3% threshold of consumed territory within protected areas. Overall, between 2006 and 2023, a total of 1,767 hectares were lost within Italian protected areas.
The indicator assesses the extent of soil consumption and new soil consumption within the terrestrial protected areas of Italy that fall under the Official List of Protected Areas (EUAP, last updated in 2010). The evaluation considers National Parks, Nature Reserves (both state and regional), Regional Natural Parks, and other types of nationally and regionally protected natural areas. This year, the perimeters of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) were excluded, unlike in 2020. The assessment was based on the National Soil Consumption Map produced by ISPRA-SNPA, using ISPRA's analyses, and was provided at both the national level and for the 20 administrative regions.
The indicator provides information on the impacts caused by human pressure on protected areas by quantifying the portion of their territory affected by new soil consumption during the reference period.
European environmental action programs and Agenda 21 set general objectives for sustainable land use, nature protection, and biodiversity conservation. The European Commission has long been committed to promoting more sustainable land and soil use. The new proposal for a directive on soil monitoring and resilience (COM_2023_416_final - Soil Health Law) highlights the importance of maintaining healthy soils that can provide essential ecosystem services and emphasizes the need for good practices to mitigate the negative effects of soil sealing on its functions. These objectives have been further specified in previous European strategic documents, such as the Roadmap to a Resource-Efficient Europe and the Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment (COM/2005/0718).
On July 5, 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a directive called Soil Monitoring and Resilience. Instead of implementing an immediate Soil Health Law, as announced in the European Soil Strategy for 2030, the Commission opted for a two-phase approach: prioritizing monitoring and soil quality assessment before enforcing strict legal limits, which will be evaluated six years after the directive’s approval.
On August 18, 2024, the Nature Restoration Law came into force following its approval by the European Parliament and Council on June 24, 2024 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1991). Its main goal is to halt biodiversity loss and restore the EU’s ecosystems to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, adapt to climate change, and enhance food security. The regulation establishes specific obligations for different ecosystem types, including agricultural land, forests, and urban ecosystems. In line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, it provides a framework for member states to implement effective restoration measures aimed at:
Restoring 20% of degraded ecosystems by 2030 and all ecosystems requiring restoration by 2050.
Restoring at least 30% of terrestrial, coastal, freshwater, and marine ecosystems that are not in good condition by 2030, with a particular focus on protected habitats and Natura 2000 sites.
Removing artificial barriers to restore at least 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers.
Planting at least three billion trees by 2030 to enhance biodiversity and urban ecosystems.
Descrizione 2
SNPA - Munafò, M. (a cura di), 2024. Consumo di suolo, dinamiche territoriali e servizi ecosistemici. Edizione 2024. Report 43/2024.
Limited availability of ultra-high-resolution images for some areas.
The availability of very high resolution images is propaedeutic in refining the quality of the indicator.
Qualificazione dati
ISPRA (http://www.consumosuolo.isprambiente.it)
National, Regional
2006-2023
Qualificazione indicatore
Using the National Soil Consumption Map produced by ISPRA for 2023, the total soil consumption within the EUAP areas of each of the 20 Italian regions was assessed in absolute and percentage terms. By comparing this data with previous years, new soil consumption trends were identified. The availability of updated satellite data has improved estimates for the entire historical series. The soil consumption analysis covers terrestrial protected areas within the Official List of Protected Areas (EUAP, last updated in 2010), including National and Regional Natural Parks, National and Regional Nature Reserves, and other types of protected areas.
In 2023, within EUAP protected areas, the total consumed soil amounts to 58,601 hectares (1.9% of the protected territory).
Soil consumption within EUAP areas remains significantly lower than the national average (7.16%), mainly due to the protection status of these areas, which ensures better preservation compared to the rest of the country. However, soil consumption is ongoing: between 2022 and 2023, nearly 70 hectares were consumed (Table 1). The highest values were recorded in Campania (3.8%) and Veneto (3.2%). From 2006 to 2023, a total of 1,767 hectares were lost within protected areas.
Dati
Tabella 1: Consumo di suolo in aree protette
MATTM (2010); ISPRA/SNPA (2023)
EUAP: Elenco Ufficiale Aree Protette
Tabella 2: Distribuzione per regione del suolo consumato (2023) e del consumo di suolo annuale netto (2022-2023) nelle aree protette
ISPRA/SNPA (2023)
EUAP: Elenco Ufficiale Aree Protette
Figura 1: Sintesi a scala comunale delle percentuali di suolo consumato (2023)
ISPRA/SNPA (2023)
Within EUAP protected areas, in 2023, out of a total area exceeding three million hectares, more than 58,000 hectares (1.9% of the total area) were consumed. The highest values were recorded in Campania (3.8%) and Veneto (3.2%), while the lowest values were observed in Valle d’Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Molise, where soil consumption was below 0.5% (Table 1).
The density of changes (Table 2) shows the highest values in Marche, with 1 square meter of new soil consumption per hectare of protected land. This is followed by Campania (0.54), Emilia-Romagna (0.48), Basilicata (0.33), and Puglia (0.28 square meters per hectare).
Figure 1 provides a municipal-scale summary of the percentage classes of soil consumed in 2023 across individual protected areas in Italy.
Among National Natural Parks, Vesuvius National Park remains the most affected, with 8.7% soil consumption, and shows the highest density of new changes relative to its surface area (2.2 m²/ha). More than 50% of the new soil consumption is concentrated in Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park (10.5 hectares in the last year) and Monti Sibillini National Park (5.6 hectares).