Soil contamination is "the most serious environmental issue in Italy,"

　　Chiara Pirovano, program coordinator of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) told Xinhua.

　　Italy, the eurozone's third-largest economy, has a population of around 60 million on a relatively small territory, which makes environmental protection a matter of grave concern, Pirovano noted.

　　The Mediterranean country went through a major urbanization process which "engulfed" over 2.2 million hectares of soil from 1950 to 2000, WWF said in a report earlier this week.

　　At such a rate, Italy is likely to have another 680,000 hectares of soil contaminated over the next 20 years, the report warned.

　　The environmental body called on the Italian government to introduce immediate measures to contain this process and involve both public institutions and private groups in the redevelopment of degraded areas.

　　There are rising public concerns over this issue, said Pirovano. She noted that a number of environmental groups are calling for more sustainable developmental policies over the Internet.

　　Italy also faces other environmental challenges including climate change, hydro-geological risks and industrial pollution, said Giorgio Zampetti, an expert with Legambiente, a leading environmental organization in Italy.

　　Italian steel giant ILVA, which is mired in an environmental scandal, highlighted the fact that development cannot be divided from the health issue, Zampetti said.

　　ILVA, a major industrial employer in southern Italy, has been in a long judicial battle over accusations that its emissions of toxic dusts have caused abnormal levels of tumors and respiratory diseases around its site in Taranto.

　　Zampetti also warned that only less than half of Italy's water resource is in good condition by national level.

　　He noted that Italy has showed "a clear intention to invest in renewable energies," citing that that a quarter of electricity demand in the country has been met by production from renewable sources during the past decade.

　　To enhance sustainable development, citizens and governmental institutions should make joint efforts, he added.