The extreme drought in Sicily continues, many regions do not have enough water. Nevertheless, the island apparently does not want to scare away tourists.
Palermo – High temperatures and drought continue to hit the Italian Mediterranean island of Sicily hard this summer. After several important reservoirs have dried up and a state of emergency has been officially declared, a military tanker is now to provide relief. The tanker is to be used to transport millions of liters of water from the mainland to the island’s coast. Other solutions are encountering opposition – especially in the capital Palermo, where tourism is very important. Some regions have already had to turn away tourists.
According to several Italian media reports, the tanker is already on its way to Sicily. As the news portal Live Sicily wrote on Friday that the Navy ship is to refuel around 1.2 million liters of water in Calabria. This would be enough to fill up to one hundred and twenty tankers on the island. The port of Licata in the province of Agrigento will be the first port of call, as the region is one of the most affected areas. From there, the water will then be distributed to other affected towns in the area.
Tankers instead of rationing: How Sicily wants to save the water supply in the capital
The capital Palermo is also increasingly affected by water shortages. According to information from the newspaper The Republic However, there was a long debate about which measures should actually be implemented. The municipal company that manages the city’s water supply had already agreed to suspend water supplies in each district of the city for one day a week. While the mayor, Roberto Lagalla, also voted in favor of the idea, the regional president, Renato Schifani, is said to have spoken out against it. The reason was said to be concern about tourism, which could quickly be deterred by water rationing.
After a final meeting, it was decided to wait for the water deliveries from the tanker. Tourism is a key source of income for Sicily. In 2023 alone, the popular holiday island is expected to have The Republic over sixteen million stays from abroad were recorded, a total of 10.8 percent more than in 2022. The tourism business is now worth a total of over six and a half billion euros. The criticism: At the same time, the per capita income of the locals is at the bottom of the Italian rankings.
Extreme water shortage in Sicily: Inland municipality without new supplies for 42 days
It remains to be seen how long the water supplies from Calabria will last and whether Palermo can cope without additional regulation. The government has put new wells into operation to obtain additional water. In addition, residents have been asked to sell water from private wells to the administration. However, there is no long-term way out of the crisis so far. And this despite the forecasts for the climate are partly worrying: According to the news portal, experts apparently fear that this year’s autumn could also bring little rain.
Sicily is suffering badly from the drought this year. Since there was hardly any rain in winter and spring, the island’s water reserves have been steadily decreasing for months. Some reservoirs that were used to supply water to nearby towns have now dried up. A peak was reached in the municipality of Caltanissetta: residents in the interior of the island have not had water for more than 42 days. As a result, many are forced to use tankers. But these are not only becoming increasingly difficult to find, they are also becoming increasingly expensive.
Sicily is repeatedly hit by natural disasters. In September last year, a serious fire broke out on the holiday island, which even claimed a human life. (nz)
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