Klimaatverandering 107

Italy's largest river drying up
Reuters

ROME — Italy declared a state of emergency in northern and central
regions on Friday due to fears of drought following unusually warm
and dry weather.

Farmers have been fretting as Italy's largest river, the Po, has
dried up in recent months. The river, running west to east across
northern Italy, feeds the broad Po valley which accounts for about a
third of the country's agricultural output.

Environment Minister Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio said the state of
emergency had been declared as a precautionary measure. It came a day
after neighbouring France imposed water rationing in several of its
regions, also in fear of drought.

Italy's hottest winter in 200 years meant snowfall was light in the
Alps, with little snow-melt to swell the Po. Then a hot, dry spring
set in, with temperatures in April approaching levels usually seen in
June.


Officials have declared a state of emergency in the wake of unusally warm weather,
which has left the river dry.

But Cabinet Undersecretary Enrico Letta said the latest news of the
Po and the water situation in general was "reassuring".

And as the state of emergency was declared, torrential rain was
falling throughout the centre and north of Italy. Weather has been
generally cooler and wetter over the last week.

The environment ministry was unable to give immediate details of what
measures were envisaged.

Officials from the industry ministry, the national electricity grid,
regional governments and emergency services met last month to discuss
measures to replenish the Po and curb electricity consumption to
prevent the risk of summer blackouts.

Drought fears intensified after the Po's level fell by 80 centimetres
in late April, to 6.53 metres below its normal level in the northern
town of Pontelagoscuro.

Among the measures considered were filling the Po with water flows
from large lakes and reservoirs in the Alps, even though it was not
expected to bring it back to normal levels.

To minimise the risk of blackouts caused by millions of people
cranking up air conditioners, the government may also allow supplies
to some industrial clients to be temporarily interrupted, and raise
electricity imports.

Around 15 percent of Italy's electricity is produced from hydro-power
generation. Water supplies are also essential in thermoelectric plants.

Flowing for 650 kilometres from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea, the Po
has made the region it crosses Italy's most fertile agricultural
region and helped turn the north into the country's industrial
heartland.

Its delta of 70,000 square kilometres houses thousands of rice,
maize, tomato and melon cultivators.'