Sicily getting hotter and hotter: when the climate makes the territory unliveable

In Sicily, extreme heat is no longer an exceptional event: it has become a condition that people, animals, and vegetation must face for longer and longer periods. Summers are growing longer, the soil is losing moisture, water is becoming more precious, and even nighttime hours struggle to offer relief.

For those who care for animals on a daily basis, the climate crisis is not an abstract concept. It manifests in water bowls that need to be refilled more often, in shelters that cannot cool down, in drying vegetation, and in elderly or sick animals that struggle more to endure high temperatures.

The extreme heat as seen from a sanctuary

In a sanctuary, it is not enough to just turn on an air conditioner. Animals also live in outdoor spaces, have different needs, and cannot all be moved into indoor environments. It is necessary to provide shaded areas, clean water, ground that is not scorching, ventilated shelters, and the ability to choose where to stay.

Sheep and goats seek shade and reduce their activity during the middle of the day. Elderly dogs may struggle to breathe. Cats hide in the coolest corners and move mainly when the temperature drops. Animals with chronic illnesses require even more careful monitoring.

When the heat persists for many days, even the night ceases to be a time of recovery. The body remains under pressure, and the risks of dehydration and heatstroke increase. This is why the presence of trees, vegetation, and water points is not a decorative element: it is an essential condition for life.

The climate crisis does not affect everyone in the same way

The consequences of global warming are distributed in a profoundly unjust manner. Those who have well-insulated homes, abundant water, and financial resources can protect themselves more easily. Free-roaming animals, vulnerable people, and those living in impoverished areas have far fewer options.

An animal cannot check the weather forecast, purchase a cooling system, or easily move away. When a water source dries up or land is covered in concrete, it must travel greater distances, cross roads, and approach human settlements. This increases the risk of accidents and conflict.

The climate crisis is therefore also a crisis of coexistence. The more we restrict habitats, the more animals are forced to enter the spaces we consider exclusively our own.

Concrete and land consumption aggravate the problem

The heat does not depend only on the atmospheric temperature. Asphalt, concrete, and impermeable surfaces absorb heat during the day and release it slowly. Trees, on the other hand, provide shade, retain moisture, and help keep the ground cooler.

Continuing to build without protecting the soil means increasing the territory's vulnerability. Data and reports from ISPRA on land consumption show how much the loss of natural surfaces continues to represent a problem for Italy.

Every piece of land made impermeable loses part of its ability to absorb rainwater. In periods of drought, moisture is lacking; when intense precipitation arrives, the water flows rapidly and can cause flooding and erosion. Drought and violent rain are not opposite phenomena: they can be two manifestations of the same climatic alteration.

Cutting down a tree means losing much more than just shade

A mature tree is a small ecosystem. It offers shelter to birds, insects, and small mammals; it protects the soil; it slows down the wind and creates areas where the temperature can be more bearable. Planting new trees is important, but it does not immediately replace what is lost by cutting down those already mature.

It is therefore necessary to protect existing vegetation and choose species suitable for the local territory. Reforestation should not be a simple image-building exercise: it requires long-term care, water availability in the first few years, and planning that fosters biodiversity.

Even in sanctuaries, trees are part of the care infrastructure. A canopy can create shade, but a vegetated area offers a microclimate, retains moisture, and allows animals to live in a more natural environment.

Livestock farming and the climate crisis

The food system plays a significant role in the climate crisis. Livestock farming requires large amounts of land for the animals and for feed production, consumes water, and generates emissions. The issue does not concern only large industrial farms: it concerns a model that uses enormous resources to transform plants into animal products.

The IPCC acknowledges the potential of more plant-based diets in reducing emissions and pressure on ecosystems. Changing one's diet alone will not solve the climate crisis, but it is one of the actions through which we can reduce the use of land and resources.

In our article on intensive farming and the climate crisis, we delved into the link between what we put on our plates and the transformation of the land.

Sicily cannot become a product to be consumed

Sicily is often described as a landscape to be photographed, purchased, or exploited for a few months of the year. But a territory is not a tourist backdrop. It is a network of relationships between human communities, animals, plants, water, and soil.

Unrestricted real estate growth, the construction of facilities intended for tourism, and rising prices can displace local communities and consume natural spaces. When the economic value of a place becomes more important than its habitability, the territory loses its capacity to support life.

We cannot talk about environmental protection by limiting ourselves to making cities and coastlines more attractive. We must ask ourselves who will be able to continue living there: people with average incomes, free-roaming animals, trees, insects, and all the species that do not generate immediate profit.

Adapting must not mean giving up

Preparing for high temperatures is indispensable. We need more green areas, safe water points, ecological corridors, better-insulated buildings, and public plans capable of protecting the most vulnerable people and animals.

But adaptation cannot become an excuse to continue as before. If we limit ourselves to building more cooling systems while removing trees and consuming energy, we are only addressing the symptom. We must reduce the causes of the crisis, protect the soil, and rethink food production.

Transition requires collective choices, but daily choices count, too. Reducing the consumption of animal products, avoiding unnecessary purchases, supporting serious reforestation projects, and defending natural spaces means contributing to a more livable territory.

Giving space back to life

We cannot control every effect of the climate crisis, but we can decide whether to continue taking space away from nature or to start giving it back. We can plant trees, protect existing ones, conserve spontaneous vegetation, and leave areas where animals can move without being considered intruders.

A livable future will not be made only of more efficient technologies. It will need shade, water, fertile soil, and communities capable of recognizing that the Earth does not belong to just one species.