In May, it’s time to take stock of the snow that fell in Italy during the winter. Has it snowed enough this year to ensure sufficient water reserves? There CIMA Foundation has released its latest seasonal snow monitor, offering a detailed overview.
Snow balance in Italy: encouraging but not uniform data
Was the snow accumulated this year enough? In part yes. The situation varies considerably between the different Italian regions: the Alps show a positive picture, while in the Apennines and in the South the situation is critical. Nationally, the availability of water contained in snow has increased by 42%.
After two years of deficit, snow reserves for the 2023-24 winter season finally filled between February and April. This improvement is confirmed by the Snow Water Equivalent, which went from +1% in April to +42% currently. The Alps are in a good situationbut the same cannot be said of the Apennines.
Snow balance in Italy: contrast between the Alps and the Apennines
According to Francesco Avanzi, researcher at the CIMA Foundation, in the Alps the cool and humid conditions of recent weeks have brought the Snow Water Equivalent to a positive level. However, the Apennines are suffering: data for the Tiber basin indicate a deficit of 12% compared to the average for the decade 2011-2022. In the South, the situation is even worse with significant water deficits in the main river basins.
Another critical point concerns snowfall below 1800 meters above sea level. High temperatures caused the snow to melt earlyleaving a strong snow deficit in both the Alps and the Apennines at these altitudes.
Will the snow that fell this year be enough to provide us with a sufficient water reserve? Unfortunately, the answer is not positive. Federico Spadini of Greenpeace Italy warns that, with another summer of record temperatures on the way, drought could worsen for millions of people in central and southern regions.
What can be done?
The direction to take is clear: the government must seriously address the impacts of the climate crisis. Concrete solutions are needed to combat drought and improve the use of water resources, which will be increasingly scarce.
What do you think about it? What measures should be taken to deal with drought? Share your opinion in the comments!
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