BLUE BOOK 2023

Climate change (CC)—a central focus of both the scientific and institutional communities—represents one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, as it is closely linked to sustainable development and the preservation of natural capital.The increase in extreme weather events, as well as rising precipitation and temperature levels, signals growing climate variability.

Phenomena that were once considered rare have, in recent years, become more frequent, intense, and widespread, causing significant environmental, economic, and social impacts across many regions of the globe.

This chapter, prepared by Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) and ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), presents an analysis of climate trends in major Italian cities and the availability of water resources.

Indeed, climate variations have a strong influence on the hydrological cycle, with considerable effects on the spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation.