Italian politicians demand intervention as drought grips the south
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July 29, 2024
Green politicians have slammed the government’s response to the drought crisis in Italy.
Water reserves are running dry in parts of Italy, leading some politicians to demand urgent action on the climate emergency.
“The climate crisis is not ideological, it is a dramatic reality in Sicily,” Angelo Bonelli, spokesperson for the Europa Verde (Green Europe) political party, said while rallying outside government headquarters in Rome on Thursday.
“Farmers are uprooting vineyards, citrus groves, they are slaughtering animals because there is no water. This is a disastrous situation.”
Condemning Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s silence on the issue, he said the government is “leaving an entire region on its knees.”
Less than three weeks’ water supply remaining
The island, the largest in the Mediterranean, has been battling its worst drought in 20 years, which forced local officials to declare a state of emergency back in February.
It’s not the only part of Italy that’s suffering. On Friday, the southwest region of Calabria declared a drought emergency in the face of serious drinking water shortages.
Less than three weeks of water supply remain for agriculture in the centre-south of the country, according to a report by the ANBI Observatory on Water Resources. It says water rationing is expanding – in some areas, even for drinking water.
Abruzzo, Basilicata, Campania, Lazio, Puglia and Sardinia are among the other regions struggling with drought.
This is in stark contrast to northern Italy, which has faced storms, floods and landslides in recent weeks.
“The current picture of Italy’s water supply is that of a north overabundant with water and a centre-south parched by drought, where important economic assets such as agriculture and tourism are at risk,” says Massimo Gargano, general director of ANBI.
“We must be aware, at every level, that the climate has changed and that a new model for the territory is needed, where resilience can only be accompanied by maintenance, infrastructure and innovation.”
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