Civil Protection: Cap Rischio, the €24 million safety plan for Southern Italy, is launched

To enhance administrative capacity and the effectiveness of civil protection interventions in the regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia, and Sicily. This is the objective of “Cap Rischio – Civil Protection Strategies for Territories 21-27,” a project of the Civil Protection Department that builds on the work already started in the 2014–2020 National Operational Programme on Governance and Institutional Capacity (PON) with the regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Puglia, and Sicily.

The plan, which involves a total investment of more than €24 million, is funded under the 21–27 National Programme “Capacity for Cohesion” through both national and European resources (the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF, and the European Social Fund Plus, ESF+), and will be launched on Monday, 13 July, in Rome at the Acquario Romano.

The launch event will be attended by the Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci; the Head of the Civil Protection Department, Fabio Ciciliano; the Directors of the Department for Cohesion Policies, Riccardo Monaco and Federica Busillo; as well as the Presidents of the Regions and the civil protection directors of the affected areas. Representing the European Commission, via video link from Brussels, will be Michela Matuella, Director-General of DG ECHO, the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, and Isaura Lopes Ramos, Programme Manager at DG REGIO, the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy.

A strategic project that, as Department Head Fabio Ciciliano emphasizes, “aims to invest in the human resources and technical skills of those who live in and manage these areas on a daily basis. The real challenge of modern civil protection, in fact, lies not only in emergency response but also in the ability to prevent and plan. Thanks to this funding and the support of the National Programme "Capacity for Cohesion", we are providing local governments with data, technologies, and standardized procedures to accelerate spending and enhance the effectiveness of prevention plans in these beautiful yet fragile regions, thereby enabling them to withstand and respond to challenges. It is a major systemic effort toward a more cohesive and resilient Italy.”

“Cap Rischio – Civil Protection Strategies for Territories 21–27” is structured around three key areas for the protection of the population and infrastructure, taking an integrated approach to addressing the main vulnerabilities of the territories involved: seismic risk, hydrogeological risk, hydraulic risk, coastal risk, and wildfire risk.

Regarding seismic risk, the focus is on applying standardized approaches to ensure the protection and operational continuity of strategic buildings—such as schools, hospitals, and emergency operations centers—in case of emergency. At the same time, to address hydrogeological, hydraulic, and coastal risks, the goal is to overcome the fragmentation of interventions by creating shared guidelines, common procedures, and integrated information systems, thereby promoting close collaboration between regions, municipalities, and river basin authorities. Finally, the strategy for combating wildfires combines technological innovation with practical measures: on the one hand, it calls for the development of early-warning systems and advanced satellite monitoring; on the other, it involves strengthening structural prevention measures, such as the creation of firebreaks and water supply stations, supported by continuous planning and training activities.

For further details: CapRischio 21-27

Event Information
Launch Event: “Cap Rischio—Civil Protection Strategies for Territories 21–27”
Date: Monday, 13 July 2026, 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Venue: Acquario Romano, Piazza Manfredo Fanti 47, Rome

Journalists interested in covering the event may submit an accreditation request to the following email address: accrediti.stampa@protezionecivile.it by 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, 11 July.