Italy on Monday declared a state of emergency in five northern regions and announced emergency funds over a worsening drought that has plagued the Po Valley.
The Cabinet approved a state of emergency in five regions — Friuli-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto — until Dec. 31, the Italian government said in a statement that also announced a 36.5 million euros (US$37.9 million) fund to help those affected.
Italy is facing an unusually early heat wave and a lack of rainfall, particularly in the northern agricultural Po Valley, which has been hit by its worst drought in 70 years.
Photo: Reuters
The state of emergency provides “extraordinary means and powers” to help guarantee public safety, and compensation for losses while seeking to guarantee normal living conditions for those in the area.
Italy’s largest agricultural union, Coldiretti, said that the drought threatens more than 30 percent of national agricultural production, and half of the farms in the Po Valley, where Parma ham is produced.
Lakes Maggiore and Garda were also hit by lower than normal water levels for this time of year, while further south the Tiber River, which runs through Rome, also dropped.
The Po represents the peninsula’s largest water reservoir, much of which is used by farmers. Several municipalities have announced restrictions.
Verona, a city of 250,000 people, has rationed the use of drinking water, while Milan has announced the closure of its decorative fountains.
Another consequence of the drought is that hydroelectric power production has fallen sharply.
Hydroelectric plants, mostly in the mountainous north of the nation, account for nearly 20 percent of national energy production.
The announcement came a day after at least seven people died after a glacier collapsed in the Alps, which Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said was “without doubt” linked to climate change.
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