Italy must work out a comprehensive plan for adapting the country to the changes in climate expected in coming decades, a group of top Italian climate experts said on Monday.
The experts, members of the World Wide Fund for Nature's scientific committee, called on the government to form an inter-ministerial task force to come up with a plan covering 15 key areas of concern.
A recent UN report said average temperatures in Italy could rise by as much as five degrees Celsius by the end of the century with the result that water resources will shrink. Weather is also expected to be much more unpredictable.
"The Mediterranean is a frontier region between tropical areas and medium latitudes and Italy, which lies on this boundary, is particularly vulnerable," said Antonio Navarra, head of the Euromediterranean centre for climate change.
"If this line moves 500 km north we risk having a North African climate all year round."
The WWF panel said it was most concerned about the effects of a reduced water supply on agriculture and tourism.
In a list of guidelines for the national plan they were calling for, experts said concerted efforts were needed to cut down wastage of water and to reduce non-essential uses such as artificial snow on ski slopes.
They also urged the government to create a strategy for defending the country's natural water system from the threats of overbuilding and deforestation.
New construction needed to take the hotter future into consideration with techniques protecting people from heat and the sun's rays, they added.
The WWF panel said most European countries began preparing strategies for climate change a decade ago and Italy was already some way behind.
