The heavy rain was not enough, especially in the South:the risk of drought is around the corner

The heavy rains of the last week have given Italy some respite, filling rivers, lakes and artificial reservoirs.But that's not enough, a large part of Italy below Romagna is at risk of drought

ROME – The many rains were good but it wasn't enough.Especially in Southern Italy.In truth, what is suffering is a large area of ​​Italy, starting from Romagna and reaching Calabria, defined in "evident water suffering“.Taking stock of the situation is the map drawn by the experts of the European Drought Observatory (Edo), which highlights an area at high risk of drought which starts from Romagna and reaches Puglia, includes almost all of Basilicata, a good part of Calabria , the coasts of Livorno and Lazio and above all in the two largest islands and especially in Sicily, where the use of water is rationed in addition a hundred municipalities with “red zones" between the provinces of Catania, Caltanissetta and Enna.The water crisis, however, is not just Italian:it is even more serious, in fact, along the Spanish Mediterranean coastal strip, with the Balearic Islands and Greece grappling with the consequences of an autumn and winter that are too mild and dry.

THE SOUTH LOOKS MORE AND MORE LIKE AFRICA

“These are images that should induce a profound reflection on the water policies initiated by the European Union, because the climate crisis is upsetting historical balances, pushing the South of the continent towards African scenarios with increasing territories at high risk of desertification, which can be responded to with maintenance, innovation and new infrastructures, but also with adequate policies that consider the territorial specificity", comments Massimo Gargano, General Director of Anbi.

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YOU NEED A LONG-TERM LOOK

“Hydrological data must not be analysed, especially by decision-makers, in the contingent, but in a broad temporal perspective, because the climate crisis demonstrates how suddenly we move from drought to flood risk”.This is the invitation of Francesco Vincenzi, President of the National Association of Consortia for the Management and Protection of the Territory and Irrigation Waters (ANBI), in the face of the widespread perception that the recent heavy rains have resolved the water insufficiency, recorded above all in the central south of the country;if, in fact, it is undeniable that the rainfall has given relief to the thirsty territories of the South, hit by months of extreme aridity and record thermal anomalies, it certainly cannot be said that they have resolved the imbalances.

THE DRAMATIC SITUATION IN THE MAGHREB IN THE GRIP OF DROUGHT

The Copernicus photographs demonstrate how this condition becomes dramatic in the Maghreb: in Morocco it is estimated that groundwater can now only cover 20% of the population's needs and that 80% of the water usually stored in artificial basins is missing; crops are compromised and local authorities have had to resort to drastic measures such as limiting irrigation, prohibiting watering gardens and filling swimming pools, even reducing the opening of traditional public baths (hammams).

THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THE LATEST RAIN AND SNOW

As regards our Peninsula, the weekly report of the Anbi Observatory on Water Resources attests how rains and snowfalls have rebalanced the northern regions and the Alpine arc;the worried regret remains that this abundance of water is not mostly capitalized in basins, so as to create reserves for the announced return of climatic phenomena with a sharp increase in temperatures.

THE AOSTA VALLEY AND THE ALPS

The levels of the large lakes of Northern Italy have reached maximum values and release large quantities of water destined for the sea.The Aosta Valley, like the entire Alpine range, is seeing an increase in snow cover, hoping that temperatures (based on data from the Regional Functional Centre, February was 4 degrees warmer than average and the freezing point reached 3,500 metres) do not cause the blanket to dissolve quickly with an inevitable increase in hydrogeological risk;the disturbance of the last ten days of February brought a quantity of rain 136% higher than the monthly average, although so far it had no influence on the flow of the waterways.

PIEDMONT AND LOMBARDY

In Piedmont, the Tanaro river is growing, where over 300% more water flows than normal;on the other hand, the flow rates of Stura di Demonte, Stura di Lanzo and Toce decreased.In Lombardy, water reserves reached 4486 million cubic meters (+25.5% on average).With the exception of the Brembo river basin, which has a slight deficit, the snowpack in the region is almost 18% higher than normal;also in the Toce-Ticino-Verbano basin, the snow balance is now more than positive thanks to +80% of cumulative snow in just 7 days (source:ARPA Lombardy).The levels in Ticino, Chiese, Oglio, Mincio and Adda are decreasing, in whose riverbed however, thanks to the generous contributions from Lake Como, 277 cubic meters of water per second flow, i.e. a quantity well above the average in years recent.

GOOD VENETO AND RIVERS IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA

In Veneto, spring will find a region that has returned to being, at least for now, rich in water.The fear of hydrogeological emergencies has receded with the decline in flows of the Muson dei Sassi, Cordevole, Adige and Bacchiglione rivers, which although maintain flows well above monthly standards.Snow is increasing in the Dolomites and Prealps.In Emilia-Romagna, the Secchia and Taro rivers increase flows;The Enza, on the other hand, is stable, while the Trebbia declines.Like the other territories on the Adriatic side of the Apennines, the Romagna ones also record a rainfall deficit.

The flow in the Po river further increases in the upstream section:in Isola S.Antonio, in the Alessandria area, the flow values ​​doubled in 7 days and the positive difference on the monthly average reaches 530%!In Turin, the water in the riverbed is 10 times that which flowed just a year ago and, in general, the flood flows, recorded in recent days, are the highest in the recent two-year period.In Liguria the levels of the Entella, Magra and Argentina rivers remain stable, while further growth was recorded in the Vara. As for snow, a blanket of 90 centimeters is present locally in the Maritime Alps.In Tuscany the flows of the Sieve, Serchio, Ombrone and Arno rivers are increasing and abundant compared to the norm (respectively +67, +135%, +141%, +106%).

THE MARCHE AND UMBRIA

Among the rivers in the Marche region, only the Sentino is growing.The cumulative rainfall in the region did not exceed 30 millimeters in 7 days, resulting in a slight increase in the volumes flooded by the dams:the basins retain 51.46 million cubic meters (a value lower than 2023 alone), which are a guarantee for the months to come, as there is no snow on the Umbria-Marche Apennines.In Umbria the month of February was slightly less rainy than in the last five years:the most abundant cumulations were recorded in the middle Tiber Valley.The hydrometric height of Lake Trasimeno increases by 3 centimeters, while the level of the Chiascio and Paglia rivers rises by approximately half a meter.

Even the water bodies of Lazio emerge regenerated from this phase of climate disruption:the levels of the bloodless volcanic lakes are rising (Bracciano +10 centimeters compared to 15 days ago;Nemi + cm.4 as well as the Albano basin) and also the river flows (Tiber +121%, Aniene +126%, Fiora +81%). Little snow on the Simbruini mountains:cumulative snowfalls of up to 29 centimeters are recorded in Campo Catino, while on Terminillo the snow cover does not reach centimeters.25.In Abruzzo the level of the Orta river, in the Pescara area, is about 20 centimeters lower than what was recorded last year, while that of the Sangro is about 14 centimeters higher than a year ago.In the mountains the snow is a mirage:in Campo Imperatore alone there are 54 centimeters, but last year there were over 60.
In Campania the Volturno river records significant growth, while that of Sele and Garigliano is more limited. A real "breath of water" has arrived in thirsty Basilicata, thanks to the rains of the last two weeks:36 million cubic meters of water flowed into the reservoirs, but last year there were 117 million more.

A LITTLE RESERVE FOR PUGLIA

The past week gave Puglia a water reserve of 8 million cubic metres, bringing the total amount of water stored to millions.mc.183.59:compared to last year, 39% is missing.In the region, the last ten days of February were characterized by above-average rainfall in the band, which goes from Taranto to the Brindisi coast crossing the Itria Valley, while the lower Salento remained dry, with cumulative rainfall halved compared to usual.Finally, in Sicily rainfall phenomena were recorded especially in the Messina area with cumulative rainfall of up to 30 millimeters in 72 hours.