ITALY: Italy grapples with twin scourges of warming climate and water shortage

Waters shortages are likely to be one of the key environmental issues highlighted during Earth Day on Sunday. Drought and dwindling water supplies are life-threatening concerns facing many developing countries. Even in southern Europe, Italy's farmers are grappling with the effects of global warming. The reservoir in Ridracoli in Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region may look full but the water level is well below normal after Italy's warmest winter in two centuries. Thousands of litres of water should be flowing towards towns along the Adriatic coast and on to hundreds of seaside resorts -- but there is no sound of gushing water here. Italy's civil defence agency has just stopped short of declaring a water shortage after this year's average rainfall in the northeast and centre of the country fell by between 50 and 60 percent. The warming climate has meant a sparse covering of snow on the usually white-capped Alps. The lack of snow has meant a poor winter skiing season and has also greatly reduced the amount of snowmelt filling rivers and reservoirs. Pontoon bridges across the north-western River Ticino below the Alps no longer float but lie on the dried up borders of the river, making the river crossing more like a slalom course for drivers. There are fears that the worst is yet to come. When the farm irrigation season begins in May, agricultural industries lying along Italy's longest river, the Po, are expected to be hard hit by the lack of water for their crops. The Po runs some 650 km (400 miles) along the north of Italy and its delta of 70,000 square km (27,000 square miles)houses thousands of rice, maize, tomato and melon growers. All these crops need an extensive water supply. "We are very worried for this summer because there has been very little rain during winter, there is insufficient water in the mountains and we are very worried for May and June because we are sure that salt water will rise and we will not be able to use the water for our agriculture," said farmer Fabrizio Ferro. Farmers in the Po delta have a two-fold problem. Usually they pump water from the river to irrigate their crops but if the river level falls, seawater pushes up the channel, contaminating the water source and making it unusable. Large tracts of farmland lie about six metres (18 feet) below sea level. Stagnant ditches which normally carry fresh water run alongside fields and the farmers know it will only get worse. Their main defence is a series of barriers across channels of the river that lead to the sea. The barriers should stop salt water rising too far up the channel. But the barriers were built in the 1980s and 1990s when the sea level was lower and the Po higher. Now these barriers are pushed to maximum to cope with the volume of seawater pushing up the river. In 2006, 50 percent of the rice crop was lost in the river delta after it was ruined by seawater. In 2007 many farmers have decided not to grow rice at all knowing they will be unable to support it. "We are worried. Some of my colleagues this year have even decided to abandon the cultivation of rice because they can already see the water in the Po is much lower and they have just decided to abandon this type of cultivation," Ferri said. Residents are concerned that the difference in water level will have repercussions on the local habitat. Already the river banks are drying up and dried mud is seen in areas where previously there was marshland. The knock-on effect for the fauna and flora in the region will be seen more each year. Lino Tosini, director of the Po and Adige Land Improvement Cooperative, told Reuters: "The other fundamental issue is that it isn't just about agricultural changes but as we move forward the environment will change as well. "Thus it is not only an agricultural problem but it is also an environmental problem." Farmers in the Po delta have little up their sleeves that will help them deal with their water problems. They are calling for one authority to take overall responsibility for distributing water. Now, water control is handled individually by each of four regions along the Po's route. This will mean that everyone will suffer a little rather than one region bearing the brunt of the shortage. But it's still a far cry from adapting to the change in climate and safeguarding Italy's environment and agriculture industry. EB/OS/AD

ITN Source | April 20, 2007

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