Recent data presented in the “Nevediversa 2025” report by Legambiente highlights the critical situation of abandoned ski resorts in Lombardy, where as many as 33 resorts are no longer operational. On a national level, the total number of abandoned facilities has reached 265, doubling compared to five years ago. This phenomenon is closely linked to the escalating climate crisis, which is characterized by increasingly infrequent snowfall and rising temperatures, jeopardizing winter tourism. Among the emblematic cases is the cable car at Pian dei Fiacconi, closed since 2019 and affected by an avalanche in 2020, symbolizing the abandonment and the negative environmental impact of non-operational facilities.
The report also sheds light on the increase in reservoirs for artificial snowmaking, now numbering 23 in Lombardy, used to counteract the decline in natural snowfall. The situation is alarming: projections indicate a future with increasingly warm winters and a significant snow deficit, with reductions of 71% in the Alps and 94% in the Apennines. These figures raise urgent questions about the sustainability of the current tourism model and highlight the importance of adopting strategies to adapt to the climate crisis in order to preserve Italy’s mountains.
