Adam Henson outlines impact of UK drought on farmers
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Italy has been reeling from a severe drought over the last year, after receiving a winter of little rain and snowfall. Satellite images from the Sentinel-2 satellite of Copernicus, which is the Earth observation programme managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission, reveal the River Po has been suffering from a severe drought. The water is struggling to make its way through the sandy areas north of Voghera. These extreme conditions have raised fears of the impact on farming, hydropower, and access to drinking water in Italy.
In the Piedmont region in Northwestern Italy, seven municipalities have had to use tanker trucks to supply drinking water to the population, while 70 other local administrations in northern Italy have declared a state of pre-alert.
Meanwhile, Italy’s largest water reservoir, Lake Garda, has plummeted to just a few centimetres short of its historical minimum levels and is at its lowest winter levels in 35 years.
The image, which was captured on February 15, laid bare the effects of the severe drought that is affecting the Po Valley for the second year running.
According to the Observatory of the National Association of Consortia for the Management and Protection of the Territory and Irrigated Waters (Anbi), in Piacenza and Cremona, water levels in the Po River have reached an all-time low.
The amount of snow in the Alps, from where the Po river originates, has halved to 53 percent, as the mountains are almost as dry as they were last summer.
The severe drought has led to watercourses reaching “average” water severity levels in three of the seven district authorities of the Po River, the northern Apennines and the central Apennines.
This comes as Venice, where authorities are usually concerned by flooding, is currently facing unusually low tides that make it impossible for gondolas, water taxis and ambulances to navigate the city’s canals.
ANSA noted that there was no direct correlation with the Po Valley droughts, although Venice’s problems were blamed on the lack of rain, a high pressure system, a full moon and sea currents.
The conditions have led Legambiente, an environmental association to launch an urgent appeal to the Italian government led by Georgia Meloni, indicating the priorities for a national water strategy.
The group has outlined an eight-point strategy, with short, medium, and long-term interventions that on the one hand favour adaptation to climate change, and on the other allow an immediate reduction in water withdrawals while also avoiding waste.
The association noted that in the next few months, “the demand for water for agricultural use will be added to the current civil and industrial uses that are already suffering, and the national water requirement will be unsustainable compared to the real availability”.
Giorgio Zampetti, director general of Legambiente said: “The year 2023 has just begun, but it is showing worrying signs in terms of extreme weather events, drought levels.
DON’T MISS:
UK firms face ‘cliff edge’ when Government support drops, experts warn [REVEAL]
UK handed untapped ‘highest energy’ goldmine to swerve blackouts [SPOTLIGHT]
Russia to launch ‘rescue ship’ to space after leak strands astronauts [REPORT]
“There is an immediate need to reduce withdrawals in the different sectors and for the different uses before we reach the point of no return. We then need to adopt a national water strategy with a circular approach.”
Mario Tonina, vice-president of the Autonomous Province of Trento and environment councillor, told ANSA: “If conditions do not change in the coming weeks, we are in for a difficult year on the drought front, given that water levels in the reservoirs and lakes of Trentino are well below average.
“The situation would not be so dramatic if there was snow in the mountains, but rainfall has been scarce. Now we are counting on rain.”
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega.
Source: Read Full Article
