Italy creates AI assistant to help Italians assess landslide risks
Climate change is increasing the frequency of stronger storms, amplifying risks of landslides and floods and spreading them to areas that were historically less exposed, environmental research and protection institute ISPRA said.
The share of land exposed to serious landslide risks rose to 9.5 per cent last year from 8.7 per cent in 2021, it said, with about 2.2 per cent of the population, or about 1.3 million people, living in these areas.
"Italy remains among the European countries most exposed to the risk of landslides," the institute said, mentioning recent deadly natural disasters such as the 2022 landslide on the island of Ischia off Naples and the floods in Emilia-Romagna in 2023.
The new AI assistant would help users navigate the existing IdroGEO public platform of maps and updated data on instability, providing information and answering questions, the institute said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
Six killed as Tropical Storm Wipha unleashes floods in Thailand
BANGKOK: Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Wipha since last month have killed six people and affected more than 230,000 people across Thailand, disaster management officials said Saturday (Aug 2). Since Jul 21, heavy rains have inundated 12 provinces, mostly in the northern and central regions, according to Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. "We are closely monitoring the impact of rainstorm Wipha and coordinating with affected provinces to assist those in need," the agency said in a statement on its official Facebook page. Images on social media showed murky floodwaters, sandbags stacked outside homes, and residents using plastic boats to navigate submerged streets. However, the kingdom's meteorological department predicts rainfall will ease in the coming days. While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains between May and October, scientists say man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely. Widespread flooding across Thailand in 2011 killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes around the country.
CNA
17 hours ago
- CNA
Japan sweats through hottest July on record
TOKYO: Japan sweltered through its hottest July since records began in 1898, the weather agency has reported, warning of further "severe heat" in the month ahead. Heatwaves are becoming more intense and frequent the world over because of human-caused climate change, scientists say, and Japan is no exception. The average temperature in July was up a record 2.89 degrees Celsius from the 1991-2020 average for the month, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Friday (Aug 1). It was the third year in a row of record-breaking average temperatures for July, it said. On Jul 30, Japan experienced its highest recorded temperature, a sizzling 41.2 degrees Celsius in the western region of Hyogo. "The next month is expected to continue to bring severe heat throughout the country," the weather agency said. Precipitation in July was low over wide areas of Japan, with northern regions facing the Sea of Japan experiencing record low rainfall, it added. The rainy season ended about three weeks earlier than usual in western regions of Japan, another record. Experts warn Japan's beloved cherry trees are blooming earlier due to the warmer climate or sometimes not fully blossoming because autumns and winters are not cold enough to trigger flowering. The famous snowcap of Mount Fuji was absent for the longest recorded period last year, not appearing until early November, compared with the average of early October.
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Italy's opposition warns against involving SpaceX in satellite update
ROME :Italy's main opposition Democratic Party (PD) has warned Giorgia Meloni's ruling coalition against involving Elon Musk's SpaceX in the update of a satellite programme, parliamentary documents show, saying the move would pose national security risks. A lower house defence committee approved this week a government proposal which includes replacing an old satellite system, named SICRAL, with a new one. The system, first launched in 2001, has been developed by Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space, two joint ventures between Italy's aerospace and defence group Leonardo and France's Thales. The PD asked the government to make clear that SpaceX would not be called in to help launch the SICRAL 3 satellite into orbit. Defence Undersecretary Isabella Rauti said the administration would assess its options, but SpaceX was the most advanced company available on the market. "We only want Italian or European companies to be involved in a security matter such as SICRAL," PD lawmaker and defence committee member Stefano Graziano told Reuters. His party abstained from the vote. Italy's opposition parties have repeatedly urged the government to prevent Musk and his companies from becoming involved in national security matters, amid concerns over the influence he wields through his Starlink satellite has been rushing to find viable alternatives to SpaceX's low orbit satellites for communications and intelligence while launching platforms to ensure independent access to space, as pan-European projects still lag behind. Musk, a friend of Prime Minister Meloni, held talks with Italian officials over a potential telecommunications contract, but discussions stalled earlier this year amid mounting political controversy. "The deployment of the SICRAL 3 satellite addresses the need to strengthen national connectivity and provide Italy with strategic independence in long-range communications," Rauti told Reuters. SpaceX did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on this story. The SICRAL system uses geostationary satellites for confidential strategic and tactical communications, to support defence missions both in Italy and abroad. The Italian government will invest a total 767 million euros ($878 million) through 2028 in the programme, the documents show. Rauti said the new satellite would be launched by the first half of 2027.
