The severe drought affecting the country, with half the rainfall on average in recent years, is forcing city councils to adopt measures to conserve water
The severe drought that Italy is experiencing, with estimated losses of around €1,000 million in agriculture, is also starting to affect other economic sectors and the daily lives of citizens. In a hydrological year with half the rainfall compared to the average of recent years and with 70% less snow in the Alps, the most affected area is the Po basin, the country’s largest and longest river, whose loop is the lowest level in the past 70 years, bringing the remains of World War II ships to the surface even from the depths. The lack of water has also halved the production of hydroelectric power stations in the Po Valley.
At the start of a summer that is expected to be particularly dry and hot, many Italian municipalities are adopting regulations to reduce consumption. Among them, stand out what has been decided in Castenaso, a municipality of 16,000 inhabitants in the province of Bologna, where the mayor Carlo Gubellini has banned hairdressers from washing their customers’ hair more than once. Anyone who does not comply with the rules can be fined between 25 and 500 euros. «On average about 13 liters per minute flows through an open tap. If two washes are done, more than 20 liters are lost. In the current situation, we cannot afford it,” Gubellini told the local Bologna edition of “Corriere della Sera” a few days ago.
Castenaso’s ‘anti-drought’ circular also prohibits the use of drinking water between 8am and 9pm to water plants or wash the car. Similar regulations have also been adopted in many other Italian municipalities, even proposing that the water used to wash the vegetables be used to water the plants or that the dishes be washed with the water left over after cooking the pasta due to its degreasing power. Public fountains are also affected by the drought. In Milan, for example, the city council has decided to cut off the water supply and drain the 70 the municipality has.
“There is no precedent. It is a sign of how climate change is changing politics. It is a way to save water, but also to indicate that we are dealing with a problem that needs to be tackled carefully,” explains Pierfrancesco Maran, councilor of the Italian economic capital. “The savings compared to what is consumed in a city like ours is obviously very small, but we hope it will be an invitation to everyone so that we save at home where possible.” Even the Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, has prayed to the Virgin and begs her to rain.
If their prayers are unsuccessful and the drought continues, as meteorologists predict, Mario Draghi’s government could declare a state of emergency in the coming weeks. He was pushed forward by the head of the Civil Defense, Fabrizio Curcio. “We define the criteria and measures with the regions,” he said on the Skytg24 channel. Lombardy, Piemonte, Veneto and Emilia Romagna are the worst affected areas, although it is also starting to suffer in the center of the country. “In some areas it is possible that rationing will also lead to water outages during the day,” warned Curcio, who fears that the drought and high temperatures will facilitate the multiplication of wildfires in the summer.
Source: La Verdad
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