The Italian National Seismic Prevention Program

After the destructive Abruzzo Earthquake of April 6, 2009, almost one billion euro in seven years were allocated for seismic prevention by the Italian Government. This amount is just a small fraction of what is actually needed, nevertheless a wide-spectrum national plan for seismic risk mitigation has been implemented. The primary objective of the plan, whose strategy and supervision is in charge of the Italian Civil Protection Department, is to reduce human losses, so that the action is especially addressed to high hazard and high risk areas. It is implemented not only through the seismic upgrading of structures, to produce the immediate reduction of the seismic risk of the retrofitted constructio ns, but also through the evaluation of the local seismic hazard and the seismic resilience of urban systems, accordin g to a more integrated and prospective strategy for seismic risk mitigation. In the paper, a comprehensive review of the risk mitigation activities until 2009 and a thoroughly description of the prevention strategy and actions of the new national plan are provided.