According to the office of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italy has declared a state of emergency due to the deteriorating drought that has been plaguing five northern regions in recent weeks.
According to a government statement on Monday, the cabinet declared a state of emergency in Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto until December 31 and set aside a 36.5 million euro ($39.5 million) fund to assist people impacted.In particular in the northern agricultural Po valley, which has been devastated by its worst drought in decades, Italy is experiencing an abnormally early warmth and a lack of rainfall.
The declaration of an emergency gives the government "exceptional means and authorities" to help ensure public safety, pay for losses, and attempt to maintain normal living circumstances for those who live in the area.Coldiretti, the largest agricultural organization in the nation, claims that the drought poses a threat to more than 30% of the nation's agricultural output as well as to 50% of the farms in the Po Valley, where Parma ham is made.
Lower than usual water levels for this time of year also affected the lakes Maggiore and Garda, which are near to Milan between the Piedmont and Lombardy regions. Further south, the Tiber river, which flows through Rome, also experienced a decline.Farmers frequently use the Po, the peninsula's main water reservoir, to irrigate rice crops, farm fields, and cow grazing areas.
Several towns have announced limitations recently. Milan has declared the closing of its ornamental fountains, while Verona, a city of 25,000, has restricted the usage of drinking water.
The drought has caused a dramatic decline in hydroelectric power generation. Nearly 20% of the nation's energy production is generated by hydroelectric plants, the majority of which are located in the hilly north of the country
A day after a glacier collapse in the Italian Alps that Draghi said was "without a doubt" related to global warming claimed at least seven lives, an emergency was declared.
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