Drought in Italy: Government declares state of emergency in north – until end of year

in five regions of the country
Italy has declared a state of emergency in the north due to drought

07/06/2022, 12:10 pm (Updated)

Already at the beginning of summer, Italy is moaning under heat waves and lack of rain. The situation is so serious that the government has declared a state of emergency for some regions in the north of the country until the end of the year. Citizens must now drastically reduce water consumption.

Italy’s government has declared a state of emergency for five regions of the country. These are Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto. Officials in these regions can use it to bypass regular regulations and order emergency measures such as water rationing.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government reacted to the current unusually long spell of heat and rain. He also promised a total of 36.5 million euros in funding to tackle water shortages. According to various media outlets in the country, the state of emergency declared for five regions in the north of the country will apply until the end of this year.

The Po Delta is drying up

Due to high temperatures in the last few weeks, the drought will have disastrous consequences. The water level of the Po, Italy’s longest river, has already dropped so much that salty water at its mouth at the sea flows kilometers inland. This mixes fresh and salt water and further dries the land around the river. The resulting salt wedge is already more than 30 kilometers long. This is also a record.

In some places, cattle numbers have fallen to their lowest levels in 70 years. The Po Delta is not only an important natural reserve but also known as the bread basket of the country. One-third of the total agricultural production is grown in the region.

Fabrizio Filippi, head of the country’s largest farmers’ union, said the drought would cost “30 percent of regional agricultural production” and threaten half of the livestock in the Po Valley.

Verona and Pisa limit water use

Even before the Italian government’s decision, many cities were already active with water conservation measures. Authorities in Verona have already severely restricted the use of drinking water over the weekend. According to this, till August 31, 2022, it can only be used for food, personal hygiene and house cleaning during the day. Mayor Damiano Tomasi announced that between 6am and 9pm water gardens and playgrounds, car washes and filling swimming pools are prohibited. Violations are subject to fines of up to 500 euros.

Although the restrictions have not yet marked the time of night, the city has called on its citizens to refrain from the listed water consumption activities. In Pisa, Mayor Michel Conti signed a similar order. From July 11, drinking water can be used only for households in the city.

But Italy alone is struggling with heat and water shortages. Even in Spain and Portugal, nature and people suffer from high temperatures and prolonged droughts. According to a recent study, parts of both countries are drier than they have been in 1,000 years. According to the researchers, this is due to a change in the Azores high pressure area induced by climate change.

(This article was first published on Tuesday, July 05, 2022.)