Italian lakes are experiencing their worst drought in 70 years

In the midst of the clear blue waters of Lake Garda in northern Italy, a group of people walk cautiously in a row. They are barefoot and clutching their shoes on their way to the little island of San Biagio. The island, some distance from the mainland, can only be reached by boat – but after the water level has dropped dramatically in recent months, it is now possible to reach San Biagio on foot.

The water level is the lowest measured in 70 years in a lake in northern Italy, according to figures from the European Union’s environmental monitoring program Copernicus, He writes for the news agency Ansa. The lake is the largest lake in Italy and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Lombardy region – it is also one of its most important reservoirs of fresh water.

But the lake is not the only one suffering from unusually low water levels, according to Lombardy’s regional leader Attilio Fontana. He points out that the levels in a number of water sources in the region are close to half of the level they are normally low.

– It’s still difficult – and the lack of rain isn’t helping, says Fontana to Brescia today.

The worst drought in 70 years

The situation in Lombardy is not unique to Italy. The extreme heat that gripped Europe last year caused the country to suffer its worst drought in 70 years. Rivers and streams dried up – and during the summer the country’s longest Po River turned into a long stretch of sand.

After a very rainy and snowy winter, it looks like summer could at least be dry. The Po River already has a water deficit of 60 to 70 percent.

Water shortages also led the city government of Bolzano, located in the Trentino region of South Tyrol, in March to ban the production of artificial snow in several ski resorts in the region. Writes La Repubblica.

invited to take a shower

Rainfall in Trentino-Alto Adige has been well below average over the past 1.5 years, which has caused the water level of the Adige, Italy’s second longest river, to drop to a level well below normal.

The head of the district, Arnaud Kombacher, is appealing to residents to save and use water “in an economical, sustainable and efficient way”. Among other things, they are told to wait to run dishwashers and washing machines until they are fully charged – and to stand in the shower instead of taking a shower.

Earlier this year, tourist magnet Venice also raised the alarm about unusually low water levels. The lack of rain meant that gondolas, water taxis, and ambulances found many of the city’s canals difficult to navigate, especially during low tide.