Priolo named Emilia-Romagna flood-emergency commissioner

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 22 - Interim Governor Irene Priolo was named Emilia-Romagna's commissioner for the emergency caused by this week's devastating floods in the northeastern region on Sunday via an order signed by Civil Protection Department Chief Fabio Ciciliano.
    On Saturday Premier Giorgia Meloni's cabinet declared a state of emergency in Emilia Romagna and Marche following the extreme weather and approved an initial allocation of 20 million euros in aid for the former and four million for the latter.
    On Saturday Priolo stressed that this funding was not sufficient and could only be a "starting point," saying it would take weeks to have an idea of the extent of the reconstruction work.
    Many of the areas affected are the same ones hit by flooding and landslides in May 2023 linked to unprecedented rainfall that left 17 people dead and caused billions of euros of damage.
    The central government put its own commissioner in charge of the reconstruction on that occasion, rather that former governor Stefano Bonaccini, who recently stepped down after being elected to the European Parliament.
    Bonaccini's deputy Priolo has taken the helm of the region until elections in two months' time.
    Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, supercharged storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.
    Although there are many sources of the greenhouse gases that are causing global heating, the main driver is the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, sales of which generate huge profits for the world's energy giants. (ANSA).