“A Central-South burned by drought, where they are at risk economic assets important such as agriculture and tourism". Massimo Gargano, Director General of Anbi, the organization of water basins is explicit. The bulletin of his association says that without urgent and appropriate interventions for the situation in three weeks there will be no more water for agriculture in the Centre-South. “Awareness must be gained, at every level.” Gargano speaks to everyone, also because a few hours before issuing the bulletin, the New York Times published a photo of the drama being experienced in Sicily on the front page. More than 1 million people have had water rationed for weeks, tourists are fleeing and queues of people with jerrycans can be seen in the streets of the cities.
The government and the Sicilian region are attacked on multiple fronts while the minister Daniela Santantchè he gets incredibly angry with the New York Times: “Also drying up tourism almost by blaming it as the New York Times adds damage to damage for Sicily” he wrote on X. Is the minister pretending not to understand? “The Government's approach to the drought emergency is embarrassing. We have been reporting the difficulties of families, farmers and businesses for months. The South is on its knees”, he replies Enzo Amendola of the Democratic Party.
The data speaks for itself and there would be little to comment other than that the topic is underestimated. In the last question time in the Chamber, a national state of emergency was declared with 20 million euros. Nicola Dell'Acqua appointed Extraordinary Commissioner for urgent interventions faces a dark picture. In a large part of Eastern Sicily the rainfall deficit exceeds 60% on an annual basis. 6 basins out of 29 no longer have usable water and another 6 have less than one million cubic meters available and 4 less than two million. In the government they sit as Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci, long-time president of the Sicilian Region and Matteo Salvini, Minister of Infrastructure, who, apart from the declarations in the Chamber, of Sicily only cares about the connection of the Bridge.
Dry invasions throughout the South
Evidence of the state of affairs from Rome downwards is the Occhito reservoir between the Molise and Puglia regions, serving the agriculture of the Apulian Tavoliere. In 8 days the structure saw volumes reduced by over 15 million cubic metres. It is taken as an example of a much announced disaster, it is the finger in a historical wound in Italy. Everyone strengthening programs and restructuring, passed through an infinite number of authorities for often indecipherable reasons, have never achieved the aim of prevention. You can't make water a business through investments that can be recovered. In the North the general situation these days is less dramatic, but the rivers are below historic flows. Only Piedmont has a water surplus. In two-thirds of the country, the battle against drought appears to be lost. The inertia of politics affects it. Confagricoltura says that the measures announced by Salvini are good and it is not comforting news for the situation that worries millions of people.
In the hottest July in history, territorial emergency plans were expected. Not infrequently they exist but they are drawn up for the use and consumption of conferences and electoral campaigns. There is a symbol in two other regions tiredness and pessimism. In Basilicata the dams released 12 and a half million cubic meters of water in one week. Half of last year's water is available in Campania's reservoirs. “The climate has changed – adds Massimo Gargano – and requires a new model for the territory, where resilience can only be accompanied by maintenance, infrastructure and innovation”. A hope to turn into reality.
