Italy on Monday declared a state of emergency for the areas around the Po River, which accounts for about a third of the country’s agricultural production and is suffering its worst drought in 70 years.
The government decree will allow authorities to cut red tape and take immediate action if they deem it necessary, such as imposing water rationing for homes and businesses.
The Po is Italy’s longest river, running over 650 km through the rich north of the country. However, many stretches of the waterway have dried up and farmers say the flow is so weak that seawater is seeping inland, destroying crops.
The government said in a statement that the emergency measures would cover lands bordering the Po and watersheds in the eastern Alps.
More broadly, it also introduced a state of emergency in five northern regions – Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piemonte and Veneto – with an initial €36.5 million ($38 million) of funds to help them to face water shortages.
“The state of emergency aims to manage the current situation with extraordinary means and powers, with relief and assistance to the affected population,” the government said.
He added that further measures could be taken in the future to deal with the drought that water officials say is increasingly affecting central Italy after an extremely dry winter and spring followed by an unusually hot start to summer.
Italian media reported that Prime Minister Mario Draghi was also considering appointing a commissioner to coordinate the drought response, similar to how the government created a commissioner to oversee the coronavirus crisis.
Source: CNN Brasil
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