Italy is facing a drought.
At Lake Garda the water level is too low.
Not enough rain has fallen, there is hardly any snow in the Alps.
Farmers are already worried about their harvest.
Rome – The cherry trees are already blooming in Italy – and it's exceptionally early.
It is a sign of a tense situation that could get worse in the coming months.
The Italian agricultural association Coldiretti sounds the alarm.
It is much too dry and now problems are emerging.
In most regions it rained far too little.
The river Po - the largest water vein in Italy - already has far too little water.
The level is three meters below normal, in Piacenza and Cremona the river reaches its all-time record low.
Satellite images from the European earth observation program Copernicus from mid-February confirm this.
Italy: Water shortage at Lake Garda - No relief in sight
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Lake Garda is still suffering from the drought summer of 2022. The water level is still at a historic low (archive photo).
© Sepp Spiegl/imago
Lake Garda - Lago di Garda - is currently only a few centimeters away from its historical low.
The other lakes in the north, such as Lago Maggiore or Lake Como, don't look much better.
The expected rain in autumn and winter has not materialized so far.
The consequences of the drought in November on Lake Garda are visible.
The water levels there are still at an extremely low level.
Not enough snow has fallen this winter.
Lake Garda (Lago di Garda): water level in previous years in February
The water level at Lake Garda fluctuates.
This February, however, the water level is particularly low, as comparative data show.
February 20, 2023: 44 centimeters
February 20, 2022: 107 centimeters
February 1997: 140 centimeters (historic level)
February 2002: 45 centimeters
Researchers from the CIMA Reaserach Foundation warn that the deficit is quite large even if snow continues to fall in the coming months.
“In the Alps, glaciers and snowfields act as 'reservoirs' for the water that feeds the Po basin.
Snowfall accumulates there in winter and then delivers it downstream during the spring meltdown, when it is most needed for harvesting,” the scientists explain.
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Drought in Italy: The Po river has hardly any water for the second year in a row, as a Copernicus satellite image from February 15, 2023 shows.
© European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery
Italy: This is the water situation in the Alpine lakes - levels
Lake Garda: 39 percent level
Lago Maggiore: 39 percent fill level
Lake Como: 39 percent fill level
River Po: water level three meters below normal
Drought in Italy: "The situation is worse than last year"
"The situation is worse than last year," warns the Coldiretti agricultural association.
There is great concern that 2023 could also be a severe year of drought.
A third of the products "Made in Italy" depend on the Po Valley.
Durum wheat for the pasta, tomatoes for the tomato sauce and cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano are included, as is the Prosciutto di Parma.
In view of the lack of water, too little corn is being grown as animal feed and there is a risk of crop failures again.
The whole agricultural sector is in serious danger.
The president of the association called on politicians to invest in rainwater collection tanks in Italy.
The situation is serious.
In the Piedmont region, communities have already had to use tankers to supply their population with drinking water.
Numerous municipalities have already declared the early warning mode, said the authority responsible for the Po - "Autorità di Bacino Distrettuale del Fiume Po".
The blatant abuses in the Italian water supply are no secret.
Civil protection groups denounced them in the drought year 2022.
Drought in Italy: will water have to be pumped out of Lake Garda in 2023?
In the summer of 2022, more water had to be drained from Lake Garda to feed the Po via the Minicio river.
This is the second year in a row that there is a risk of drought.
The water at Lake Garda arouses desires again.
Representatives of the communities around Lake Garda have met for an emergency meeting.
The situation at the place of longing for many German vacationers is worrying.
First austerity measures were decided.
The outflow into the Minicio was throttled.
Saving water is the order of the day.
But the level of Lake Garda threatens to fall further.
There is currently an exceptional high pressure situation over Italy.
In Venice, there is mud instead of romance.
Gondolas lie dry in the mud.
The lagoon city suffers from "Aqua Bassa".
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List of rubrics: © Sepp Spiegl/imago
