Extreme drought: Sicily is in danger of becoming a desert – a state of emergency declared Drivers in Poland are said to have deliberately driven into a group of people

First Spain, now also Italy: The popular holiday island of Sicily is struggling with a persistent drought. There is no rain, water supplies are almost depleted and agriculture is suffering.

Sicily’s government declared a state of natural disaster in mid-February as the region suffered its worst drought in almost two decades. After last year’s hot summer and serious forest fires, there has been no rain in winter, meaning water supplies are now scarce. Lakes and rivers dry up.

Experts say this could be the third worst water crisis ever recorded on the island. There is a risk of desertification – on 70 percent of the island’s surface.

«Sicily is the only region in Italy and one of the few in Europe that is in a red zone due to water shortages. Morocco and Algeria are in the same situation,” the regional government said in a statement. That is why water is rationed in 93 municipalities in Sicily. You can see how residents respond to this in this video from Watson media partner T-Online.

Winter drought has gripped Southern Europe and North Africa

Farmers on the island in particular are struggling with the drought, after being hit by storms in 2023. The consequences of the drought are clearly noticeable: the grain has withered and the important wine and olive cultivation is also suffering. Oranges are too small and many trees are drying out.

According to the European Earth observation program Copernicus, a quarter of all of Europe and North Africa are experiencing drought. The winter months brought less precipitation than average in the region. The situation has deteriorated since the end of January, although slightly better than last year, when 31.3 percent of the area was affected by drought.

According to information, the situation is particularly bad in southern Italy, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia and northern Morocco. In addition to the drought, there are also temperatures that are above the usual average.

Sources