Effects of air pollution on crops and semi-natural vegetation

The Division Models and Technologies for Risks Reduction of the ENEA Sustainability Department was established in July 2015 with the specific aim of assemble all the resources, both human and instrumental, that could propose reflections, analyzes and assessments about the interactions among energy strategies, emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, air quality, climate change and resulting impacts on health and ecosystems. The use of numerical models, at different spatial scales, to describe the physical and chemical processes affecting the atmosphere and the ocean is at the hearth of the history and activities of the research groups involved. Nevertheless, great effort and commitment was also dedicated to the development of integrated models to explore links and feedback between the different aspects of the same system. These unique platforms called IAM (Integrated Assessment Modelling) help and support policy-makers to develop and promote sustainable policies. With this vision we have been developing the national model MINNI (Integrated National Model in support to the International Negotiation on Air Pollution) since 2003. It includes the Integrated Assessment Model GAINS-Italia, which helped our Country: to negotiate revisions of European and International Directives and Protocols with technical data and national scenario simulations; to support technically the actions needed to deal with European infringement procedures; to help the Regional Authorities to fully understand and use the measurements until they have become totally autonomous; to support the early season of the Air Quality Regional Plans together with the assessment of the measures identified in them. A parallel and equally far-sighted vision has been offered by our colleagues of the actual Division who have been dealing for years with the “pollution effects”. They hold significant roles within the International Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) both as national representatives in the Executive Body and National Focal Point or Experts within technical Task Forces. To date a lot of work has been done but we need more and more of each other’s expertize to move forward in the complexity. We cannot have disciplinary “exclusivity” because atmospheric pollution and its effects are no longer (and have never been) a single discipline theme. At the same time we must avoid that integration could generate only simplification. The main intent of this publication and of this day is to take stock of the situation in Italy, sharing what has been done both on the atmospheric pollution and effects side as well as the many and important experiences of comparison and integration. We would like to start from here in order to deal with what Europe strongly advocates: that the definition of policies to face air pollution considers as a priority the reduction of its effects.