Drinking water is scarce in Italy. There has been no rain for months. Water is already rationed in some communities. Now Lake Garda is to be tapped.
Rome – Lake Garda – Lago di Garda – is the largest lake in northern Italy. For many it is a magical place. The ancient Romans already vacationed on the deep blue waters of Lake Garda and today the lake is one of the most popular travel destinations in Italy. The northern banks are surrounded by the Alps. The southern banks are already part of the Po Valley.
Italy: Historic drought for 70 years – Lake Garda should be pumped out
The extreme heat wave is causing water shortages in Italy. Right in the middle of the holiday season. It’s the worst drought in 70 years. In some regions not a drop of rain has fallen for months. Water must be rationed. In northern Italy in particular, the Po Valley suffers from a lack of water. 125 municipalities in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions have recently been asked to stop or throttle the drinking water supply to households at night. The water reservoirs in the regions are empty. Tanker trucks are required to deliver potable water in some communities.
Heat wave and water shortage in Italy: state of emergency “inevitable”
The low water on the Po river endangers in the Italian regions Piedmont, Lombardy and Emilia Romagna several harvests. Some regions in the north are already demanding that the government in Rome declare a state of emergency. The level of the longest river in Italy has dropped three meters below the average in recent years. The Po is the country’s largest water reservoir. However, according to a regional weather observatory, it has not rained in some areas of the Po Valley for more than 110 days.
“I think it is inevitable to declare a state of emergency because of the drought,” Agriculture Minister Stefano Patuanelli said over the weekend, according to the Italian news agency ansa. A summit meeting of the regions and the government is planned for this week in Rome. Among other things, measures to increase the efficiency of the Italian water supply system will be discussed. Also whether water can be pumped out of Lake Garda to the north to feed the Po Valley. Lake Garda water could be channeled into the Po via the Mincio river.
Italy: Zoff about Lake Garda water
The Secretary General of the Municipalities of Lake Garda rejects this proposal, as the Swiss web portal 20min.ch reported, however. Because this has devastating effects on the lake. Compared to other lakes, the situation in Lake Garda is less precarious, but here too the water level is 46 centimeters lower than last year.
The situation is getting worse across Italy. “The snow on the Alps is completely exhausted in Piedmont and Lombardy; the lakes, starting with Lake Maggiore, are at an all-time low for this period,” said the authority responsible for the Po. In addition, power generation has stalled. (ml)
Germany has to prepare for severe weather after the heat wave.
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