Italy - Overview

Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services

Italy is extremely rich in biodiversity; it has the highest number and density of both animal and plant species within the European Union, as well as a high rate of endemism. This rich biodiversity is in large part due to its range of biogeographic regions, which are the Alpine region, the Continental region and the Mediterranean region, providing differences in climate, topography and geology... More »

Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)

The outcome of the third national report on implementation of the Habitats Directive shows that anthropic threats are stable in number and trends, and are expected to stay this way in the short and medium terms.

In particular, impacts are generated by changes in ecosystems stemming from human activities (e.g... More »

Implementation of the NBSAP

Adopted in October 2010, the National Biodiversity Strategy (NBS) aims to merge and integrate biodiversity conservation targets and sustainable use of natural resources within sectoral policies, thereby implementing the vision of the Strategy which states: “Biodiversity and ecosystem services, our natural capital, are preserved, valued and, insofar as possible, restored for their intrinsic value so that they can continue to support economic prosperity and human well-being despite the profound changes that are taking place globally and locally”... More »

Actions taken to achieve the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Implementation of the NBS is in line with EU policies dealing with biodiversity, and with the EU Biodiversity Strategy, whose targets are also consistent with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Hence, there is a good match between the three strategies.

Italy is strongly committed to the implementation of the Strategic Plan and is making significant progress to achieve all Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and encouraged by the following results:

• The governance system of the National Strategy for Biodiversity significantly contributes to mainstreaming, aiming to enhance a cross-cutting approach, widen opportunities and procedures for disseminating and communicating significant initiatives that are ongoing in Italy... More »

Support mechanisms for national implementation (legislation, funding, capacity-building, coordination, mainstreaming, etc.)

In Italy, legislation is the basis for many projects and actions for biodiversity conservation. The Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea was established in 1986 (Law 349). A Framework Law on Protected Areas (Law 394/91) and the Law for Sea Protection (Law 979/82), and respective subsequent amendments and integrations, comprise the main regulatory principles for terrestrial and marine protected areas in Italy... More »

Mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing implementation

The NBS will be implemented from 2011 to 2020, with a report issued every two years, dealing with progress made towards the achievement of strategic objectives and specific goals in the work areas. In 2015, a shared and in-depth assessment of the validity of the Strategy’s approach was conducted, and in 2016 the midterm review of the NBS was approved (coherent with the midterm review of the European Biodiversity Strategy to 2020)... More »