Italy: Venice is dry due to drought

Residents and tourists are currently experiencing disturbing images in Venice. “The lake city is the epitome of the crazy climate these weeks,” people say to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Pictures show that many of the canals have dried up and that gondolas are riding on mud.

Last weekend, the tide point in Venice was more than half a metre, according to Mercury. below the normal water level. This has serious consequences for rescue services. Water ambulances will not come to emergency sites for a few hours during low tide. The news portal notes that falling water levels in Venice is rare, but it still happens again and again. According to experts, a special weather condition is responsible for the phenomenon this time: an area of ​​high pressure over Italy acts as a barrier and keeps the rain away. The duration and cause of the present drought are extraordinary.

A national water strategy is required

Drought in northern Italy It is becoming more and more of a concern according to environmentalists. In the past few months, snowfall in the Italian Alps has decreased by 53 percent compared to the long-term average, environmental organization Legambiente said at the start of the week.

In the basin of the Po River, the largest river in the country, precipitation decreased by 61 percent and even Lake Garda, The largest lake in Italy, reports historic lows – although this usually has no problems even on periods of little rainfall. The northern and central Apennines – a mountain range that runs through large parts of Italy – were also affected. Incidentally, it is also much warmer than average in the winter month of February.

Legambiente appealed to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government on Monday, calling for a national water strategy. Specifically, environmental scientists have proposed various measures to reduce water consumption and make better use of rainwater.

(dpa/jar)View comments