by InTrieste
Friuli Venezia-Giulia, as well as the rest of Italy, is at risk of a serious drought as its rivers and lakes suffer from a severe lack of water due to little or no rainfall over the winter, the Legambiente environmental group has warned.
The problem is more acute in the north of Italy and affects in particular the river Po which has 61 per cent less water than normal for this time of year. In our region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia, river Tagliamento is at record low.
The vast Po Basin, irrigated by Italy’s longest river, produces about a third of the country’s agricultural produce.
Mountain snow is also in scarce supply, Legambiente warns, with less than half of the normal snowfall in the Alps this year.
The environmental group has called on the government to tackle the problem, highlighting a series of proposals as part of a national water strategy.
These include collecting rainwater, reducing water losses, improving irrigation efficiency and urging the agricultural sector to embrace less water-demanding crops.
Italy faced its worst drought in 70 years last summer, and this summer 2023 might be worse if immediate actions are not taken, warn the environmental groups.
