Floods, Public Budgets and Fiscal Resilience: Evidence from Italian Municipalities

Alessandro Bellocchi, Chiara Lodi, Giovanni Marin, Giuseppe Travaglini and Matteo Zavalloni
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Alessandro Bellocchi: Department of Economics, Society, Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo and SEEDS
Chiara Lodi: Department of Economics, Society, Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo and SEEDS
Giuseppe Travaglini: Department of Economics, Society, Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo
Matteo Zavalloni: Department of Economics, Society, Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo

No 2025.32, Working Papers from Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei

Abstract: We examine the impact of extreme hydrogeological events on local governments’ fiscal responses in Italy between 2016 and 2022, with a focus on how local public finances contribute to disaster resilience. Leveraging the staggered timing of disaster declarations and employing a difference-in-differences framework, we estimate dynamic treatment effects on revenue and expenditure of municipal governments. Our findings indicate that local governments of affected municipalities significantly increase total and capital expenditures in the aftermath of disasters, particularly in functions related to emergency management, environmental protection and economic development. These spending increases are primarily financed through capital revenues and transfers from higher levels of government, with no corresponding rise in current expenditures. To explore heterogeneity in fiscal responses, we develop a fiscal resilience index combining measures of debt servicing costs and tax autonomy. We find that municipal governments with both low debt burden and high tax autonomy exhibit the strongest and most persistent post-disaster financial adjustments. In contrast, municipal governments with high debt service obligations and limited tax autonomy exhibit weaker responses, reflecting a constrained capacity to mobilize financial resources. These results underscore the critical importance of fiscal space, beyond formal fiscal autonomy, in shaping local governments’ ability to respond to climate-related shocks. From a policy perspective, our findings highlight the need to strengthen institutional and financial mechanisms that enhance fiscal resilience and ensure timely access to recovery resources for municipal governments with limited capacity.

Keywords: Fiscal resilience; Hydrogeological disasters; Municipal budgets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H71 H72 H84 Q54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env, nep-eur and nep-pbe
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Related works:
Working Paper: Floods, Public Budgets and Fiscal Resilience: Evidence from Italian Municipalities (2025)
Working Paper: Floods, Public Budgets and Fiscal Resilience: Evidence from Italian Municipalities (2025)
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