Climate change and NaTech events: A step towards local-scale awareness and preparedness

The present paper aims at verifying the awareness and preparedness of urban and local planners to cope with NaTech risk, together with the availability of dedicated tools. Since most of the natural events that can trigger technological hazards are influenced by climate change (i.e. flood, heavy rains, storms, etc.), NaTech risk is expected to be strongly increasing in the next years. However, dedicated NaTech planning actions and methods or tools to support them are still rarely available. The requirements of European Adaptation Strategy for Climate were examined considering the issues posed by the Seveso III Directive in terms of NaTech, focusing on the strategies adopted in the European countries, and in particular in Italy. Based on such analysis, a `NaTech tool' dedicated to local planners was developed. Practical and easy to use methods and procedures were proposed in order to allow the use of the method by the local authorities, in the absence of sectorial experts.

Automated summary

This study examines the awareness and preparedness of urban and local planners to cope with NaTech risk, as well as the availability of dedicated tools. It highlights the lack of dedicated NaTech planning actions and tools despite the expected increase in NaTech risk due to climate change. Based on the analysis, a 'NaTech tool' was developed for local planners to use practical and easy methods in the absence of sectorial experts.