Water levels of Italy's Lake Garda drop to lowest levels in 70 years as drought looms
Across large parts of Europe, climate change is fuelling more extreme weather, including longer, harsher droughts and Italy is about to experience a possible severe drought for the second year.
After poor winter rains and dismal Alpine snowfalls across northern Italy failed to replenish reserves, the arrival of spring has brought worries of more suffering following the drought of 2022, the worst in 70 years.
Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, centred on Milan, said last month that regional water storage levels were less than half what they normally are at this time of year.
Coldiretti, Italy's main farmer's association, said the sector had lost some 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) last year and predicted 300,000 businesses would lose more if the drought does not end.
But experts say that would need almost non-stop rain from now until May and June, when most farmers start irrigating their fields.
In 2022, water from large lakes helped ease the drought's impact. But water in Lake Garda, which eventually flows into the River Po, is below half of normal levels, according to Ramona Magno, researcher at CNR (Italian National Research Council).
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last month set up a control room to monitor water capacity across the country and appointed a national commissioner to oversee the issue.
At the local level, the Lombardy government has asked water companies and hydroelectric operators to limit their usage.
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts rainfall in the Po valley will vary more in the coming years, with an increase in extreme weather events.
Extreme drought is already affecting 6% of towns in Lombardy and Piedmont, with 19 of them experiencing the highest level of shortage, said Utilitalia, a federation of utility companies.
It said some towns had already started receiving water in tanker trucks.
Reuters
