Italy's over-20-year National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA) risks closing down due to a lack of funding, according to a consortium of teams involved in the program.
Consortium chief Antonino Cucinotta said on Friday that the Ministry of Education, which is responsible for research projects, has not responded to a request presented some time ago for 17 million euros to fund an emergency Antarctic expedition .
Any further delays, he warned, risked compromising not only the next mission but the whole PNRA after more than 20 years and over 500 million euros in investment.
The 17 million euros requested was needed to pay for a ''minimum'' expedition to carry out general maintenance on the PNRA's bases and to respect international accords, Cucinotto explained.
''We had expected a reply to our request within a week because time is running out. It is impossible to start in July preparations for an expedition which must begin at the beginning of October,'' he added.
''I sincerely doubt that the ministry has understood the urgency of the situation. The PNRA consortium can spend money only after the government has approved the funding,'' Cucinotta said.
