Italy dries up At least three UN peacekeepers killed in Mali

The drought is hitting Italy hard – even in winter.

Rivers and lakes suffer from serious water shortages. The Po – the lifeline of Italy, which flows from the Alps in the northwest to the Adriatic Sea – threatens to become a desert. The water level of Italy’s longest river is 61 percent below normal. Italy’s largest lake is just a few centimeters from a historic low: Lake Garda.

And this before spring – a time of year when the demand for water due to agricultural irrigation will increase significantly.

The precarious situation in seven points:

Lowest water level on Lake Garda

It is a sad record: the water level of Lake Garda in February has never been as low as in 2023 since measurements began.

It hasn’t rained in over a month and it has barely snowed. “We inherited one of the driest summers in history and now there has been no real rain for months this winter,” said Pierlucio Ceresa, secretary general of the Association of Municipalities of Lake Garda.

The lack of water can be seen with the naked eye. From the mainland, the island of Isola dei Conigli can be reached on foot via a footpath created by the low water level.

Venice is on dry land

Unusual things happen in Venice too. The lagoon is on dry land.

Normally, Venice is hit by floods in winter. The city on the water is currently experiencing an unusually low water level. Some rivers in the lagoon city have dried up. Many gondoliers cannot do their job.

The pictures speak for themselves:

Water shortage in the Po Valley

The situation of the Po, Italy’s longest river, is no less drastic. The river has a water shortage of 61 percent. Satellite images show the sandbanks created by the lack of water.

The river is the country’s main water reservoir. Still. Because: The Po thirsts for rain. Last year, the lifeline reached its lowest level in 70 years, with a water shortage of 72 percent. The government had declared a state of emergency in several regions and water had to be rationed.

Farmers sound the alarm

Above all, the Po is the lifeblood of northern Italian agriculture. The Po Valley is one of the most fertile areas in Italy, accounting for about a third of the country’s agricultural production.

The farmers are already alert.

Water rationing and limited irrigation of fields threaten to become commonplace, Italian agricultural organization Coldiretti warned. Fruit trees, maize and vegetable fields are particularly threatened. The rice harvest also looks bleak. According to Coldiretti, about 8,000 hectares less rice can be grown this year. To return to normal, it would have to rain for more than a month.

The statement confirms Valter Maggi, professor of the Italian Glaciological Committee: “It would take long and regular rains to remedy a water shortage.”

threat to animals

Farmers are not the only ones raising the alarm.

The wetlands are home to hundreds of animals. More than 350 bird species nest in the Po Delta – the natural reserve in Veneto – to spend the winter. Conservationists warn that wetland habitats along the Po River are in serious danger. Fish, frogs and birds are particularly threatened.

The drought only lasted for a while

Last year, Italy experienced one of the worst drought summers since measurements began. A lack of rain combined with very high temperatures has depleted the country’s water resources.

In autumn, precipitation increased again and the situation improved – albeit only temporarily.

Emanuele Romano, researcher at the Italian Institute of Aquatic Research, explains it this way:

It will take at least two years to determine what impact the recent drought has had on the lifeline.

What now

The Italian environmental protection organization Legambiente no longer speaks of drought waves, but of a drought emergency that will never really end. The organization appeals to the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and calls for a national water strategy.

Legambiente lists a number of measures that must be taken to deal with the crisis: reducing water losses through aqueducts, farming with crops that need less water and building new reservoirs to collect rainwater.