Musumeci: around 800 Italian municipalities lack civil protection plans

Musumeci: around 800 Italian municipalities lack civil protection plans

Speaking in Catania, the Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies, Nello Musumeci, highlighted the absence or outdated status of municipal civil protection plans in many Italian areas and urged the promotion of a prevention culture.

• National estimate: about 800 municipalities without a plan or with plans needing updates.
• Sicily figures: of 391 municipalities on the island, 133 need to update their plans and 74 lack one entirely.
• Recommendation: municipal plans should be updated every three years to remain effective.

Musumeci emphasized that the government's approach prioritizes prevention: "The watchword is not only to manage emergencies or rebuild, but above all to prevent." He also stressed the role of educational prevention starting in primary schools and linked the issue to climate change, which requires a renewed relationship with the territory.

Practical impact: an active municipal plan enables the immediate activation of the local operational center (COC), the identification of vulnerable areas and gathering points, and the organization of temporary solutions such as field hospitals. Where a plan is missing, these actions become difficult to implement quickly.