On 30 April 2025, the Italian Council of Ministers announced a €1 billion flood recovery and prevention package for the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and Marche. The funds are set to be distributed over a 10- to 12-year period, with €130 million already earmarked, covering planned allocations for 2026. Combined, the regions account for approximately 9.6 million residents—nearly 16% of Italy’s total population.
The initiative follows the catastrophic May 2023 floods that struck Emilia-Romagna, which alone caused an estimated €9 billion in damage across critical infrastructure, agriculture, and private assets. While the announcement reflects increased political attention to climate adaptation, the scale and timeline of the funding fall short of addressing the region’s growing exposure to hydrological risks. Still, it marks Italy’s first major flood-specific investment for these regions since the disaster. This funding complements ongoing national and EU-supported efforts in the water sector, including €4.4 billion in investments budgeted under Italy’s Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR)—€1.4 billion of which has already been awarded through tenders.
