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After a mild winter with little snow, northern Italy in particular is once again threatened by extreme drought. According to estimates by the CIMA Research Foundation, about half of the snow water resources normally available in Italy are currently missing. In the Alps, the situation is worrying and the Po Valley is already suffering from a lack of water. The Po, Italy's longest river, carries about 60 per cent less water than usual at this time of year. Experts therefore fear an even more extreme summer than in 2022, when the Po carried the lowest amount of water in 70 years.
According to the Italian Association of Consortia for the Protection of Land and Water Anbi, 3.5 million Italians are at risk of severe drought. Environment Minister Pichetto Fratin announced "a round table on the "water supply crisis" for next week.
Farmers and winegrowers are worried about the future because of the lack of water reserves. Although last year's grape harvest went well in most regions thanks to long-awaited rainfall in late summer, the persistent drought has a long-term negative impact on the vegetative development of the plants and thus also on the quality of the fruit.
(ru / Source: Iconaclima, Spiegel, Rainews; Photo: 123rf )