Italy has been suffering from the effects of a devastating drought for months, and farmers in Sicily have been forced to make heartbreaking decisions.
What's happening?
As explained by The Guardian, Sicily is experiencing a historic water crisis in which just 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) of rainfall dropped on the island over the last six months of 2023. A European record temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded in the Mediterranean in 2021, and Sicily is the most populous island in the region. At this point, 70% of the land is at risk of desertification, according to the Italian National Research Council.
Most of Sicily's lakes are on the verge of drying out, and reservoirs have been reduced to "mud puddles" that emanate the smell of dead and rotting fish, The Guardian stated. The necessity for water rationing has forced multiple businesses to shut down and thousands of families to resort to storing water containers in their homes. As of March, some of the reservoirs designated for drinking water were operating at just 10% capacity, according to the National Association of the Agricultural Water Board.
"This is an unprecedented drought emergency," Sicily President Renato Schifani said, per The Guardian.
In May, the national government in Italy declared a state of emergency and allocated €20 million ($21.7 million) to address the ongoing crisis.
Why is this important?
The droughts in Italy and other parts of the world are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of extreme weather exacerbated by rising global temperatures. In addition to the drought in Italy, summer wildfires have destroyed vegetation, putting farmers in difficult positions.
"According to the association of young agricultural entrepreneurs, drought is driving young Sicilian farmers off the island, while dozens of breeders have been forced to sell or slaughter their livestock," The Guardian reported.
Liborio Mangiapane, a 60-year-old farmer who owns 100 cows and 150 goats, explained his dilemma to The Guardian.
"Without water, my cows no longer produce milk," Mangiapane said. "The land is slowly becoming desertified. Even in our own family, we are forced to shower and cook using bottled water because there is no running water left."
To make matters worse, Sicily remains a popular tourist destination that constantly draws an influx of visitors who put even more pressure on resources that are already dwindling to dangerous levels.
What's being done about this?
According to The Guardian, Coldiretti, Italy's biggest farmers' association, is doing its part by using its own funds to provide tankers that can refill artificial lakes in Sicily. Unfortunately, this effort alone was described as "insufficient."
Some hotels and bed and breakfasts have installed water tanks on their properties in preparation for the dry season. Others have been forced to turn to private water truck services to fill their tanks.
The most promising development is the discovery in November of a subterranean aquifer, which The Guardian called "an important potential resource." Geologists speculate that it contains 17 billion square meters of water. Farmer Vito Amantia stressed the urgency of finding a way to make use of the aquifer.
"They'd better hurry," he told The Guardian. "They'd better realize that this is a ticking time bomb."
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