The effects of the climate crisis cost Italy €284 per resident in 2023, five times that of 2015 and the highest level in the EU, according to a report presented at a conference hosted by The European House Ambrosetti think tank on Saturday.

According to Italy’s national press agency, ANSA, the study said that the level of water stress was so high in Italy that only Belgium, Spain and Greece were worst off in Europe.

It said agriculture was the sector hit hardest, with 12 regions suffering high levels of water stress, especially Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Puglia. It said the greatest climate-related economic damage was caused by flooding (44 percent of the total), storms (34 percent) and heatwaves (14 percent).

The report said, among other things, this had led to a “drastic reduction in honey production”, which was down 70 percent in 2023. Pear yields were down 63 percent, cheery production fell 60 percent, olive oil output dropped 27 percent and wine and tomato production fell 12 percent.