Water shortage: drought emergency declared in northern Italy

Northern Italy is experiencing the worst drought in 70 years, and a major fire broke out in Rome. The government has declared a state of emergency in several areas. Spain and Portugal are also suffering from extreme drought.

The Italian government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi has declared a state of emergency in five regions in view of the drought in the north of the country. This allows the authorities to order immediate measures such as water rationing, bypassing the usual regulations.

As the government announced after a cabinet meeting, the state of emergency in the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto will apply until the end of the year. Affected are areas around the Po River, a region where about a third of agricultural production in Italy originates. It is experiencing the worst drought in 70 years.

The water levels of Lago Maggiore and Lake Garda are significantly lower than usual for this time of year. The Tiber, which flows through Rome, also has low water.

The government also announced that it would provide 36.5 million euros in emergency aid. According to earlier media reports, Draghi is considering appointing a commissioner to fight the drought, similar to how the government set up a special post to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Big fire in Rome

In Rome, a major fire broke out in a park in the north-west of the city, a few kilometers from the Vatican, according to the fire department. A helicopter supports the units on the ground in extinguishing the fire. In the center of the city, ash partly rained from the sky and a high column of smoke could be seen. There were initially no reports of injuries. Emergency services brought children from two sports centers to safety.

On the popular holiday island of Sicily, the highest forest fire warning level applies in many provinces, for example around Palermo and Messina. On Monday, civil defense reported five requests for support from firefighting aircraft from Sicily and Lazio, which surrounds the capital Rome. Further requests came from southern Italy’s Calabria, Apulia and Venetia. Officials said five fires had been brought under control.

Extreme drought also in Spain and Portugal

Spain and Portugal are also suffering from extreme drought. According to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, parts of both countries are drier than they have been in 1,000 years. The reason for this is a change in the Azores high pressure area triggered by climate change. This has a major impact on the weather and long-term climate trends in Western Europe. According to the authors of the study, winter precipitation is “vital” for the ecological and economic health of the Iberian Peninsula.

Previous studies had not been able to show whether man-made climate change is responsible for the changes in the climate in the North Atlantic – now the authors say they have found the connection.