The water emergency in the Po basin shows no signs of easing. The Permanent Observatory on Water Uses of the Po River District, convened on August 6 under the coordination of the District Basin Authority, confirmed a situation of severe criticality, marked by persistently above-average temperatures, insufficient rainfall in the most affected areas, and levels of the large Alpine lakes now close to historic lows.
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Despite some thunderstorms affecting Emilia-Romagna and Veneto in recent weeks, the effects on water reserves have been limited. The rains were concentrated in intense and localized events, unable to compensate for the deficit accumulated in previous months. In Piedmont and Lombardy, on the other hand, precipitation generally remained below normal.
PO RIVER FLOW
What is most concerning is the situation of the large regulated lakes of Northern Italy, which represent a strategic reserve for agriculture and for maintaining the flows of the Po. The most critical case is Lake Maggiore, whose filling level has dropped to 5.3%, a condition classified as “extreme drought.” Lake Como (5.9%), Lake Iseo (5%), and Lake Idro (5.7%) are also struggling, while only Lake Garda maintains a relatively stable situation with a filling level of 50%.
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“The persistent high temperatures are exhausting the last water reserves, namely the large pre-Alpine lakes. Except for Garda, the waters available in Lakes Maggiore, Como, and Idro are almost depleted,” explained Alessandro Delpiano, Secretary General of the Po Basin Authority. “The emergency continues and there is still no end in sight.”
The situation is particularly delicate for the Ticino-Lake Maggiore system, essential for feeding the largest rice-growing area in Europe, which includes the provinces of Vercelli, Novara, and Lomellina. Right in the middle of the irrigation season, farms are facing increasingly reduced water availability.
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