Italy Catastrophic drought keeps vacation paradise Sicily on tenterhooks

Sicily is used to drought in the hot summer months, but this year it is more catastrophic than it has been for a long time. Dried-up lakes and fields withered by the scorching heat characterize the picture on the Italian Mediterranean island. Some landscapes are barely recognizable this summer: Lakes that once shimmered turquoise have now silted up or dried up.

Farmers are complaining about decimated harvests and, due to the lack of water, farmers are faced with the difficult decision of whether and how many of their animals to slaughter before they lose even more weight. For the inhabitants of many areas of Sicily - the southern province of Agrigento is particularly affected - tap water is strictly rationed. They are standing in long queues with water canisters to fetch water from public wells.

German Foreign Office warns of drought in Sicily

There is a drought emergency in the vacation paradise: Sicily's government declared a state of emergency early on. Meanwhile, the Italian environmental authority Ispra has announced the highest warning level for the Mediterranean island. The extreme water shortage has been triggered by the current extreme heat and lack of rain. The German Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to make holidaymakers aware of the risks posed by the drought.

In recent years, Sicilians have come to terms with long periods of drought without rain: They store water in underground or rooftop cisterns, or water tanks, and water is delivered to remote locations in large tankers. But all these efforts were of no help this summer. Marine tankers are arriving from the mainland to supply the inhabitants with water.

Drought emergency also has human causes

According to the Civil Defense, there has been less rain this year than there has been for a very long time. And the forecasts for the coming years do not bode well: According to a report by environmental engineer Leonardo Noto from the University of Palermo, rainfall will become less frequent but heavier in the future, while light and constant rain that penetrates deep into the water table and saturates the soil will decrease.

According to experts, the water shortage in Sicily is also partly man-made: many water pipes on the island are dilapidated, which means that a lot of water is lost. In addition, strategies to tackle the problem have been lacking for years. Experts complain about political inactivity and poor water management, which, together with the low rainfall in the winter months and the heat, is now showing its bitter consequences.

Farmers and residents are angry with politicians

Farmers and residents complain that politicians outdo themselves with announcements from year to year. According to them, however, hardly anything happens in the end. "I wonder what the politicians are doing," says Giovanni Bonanno, who grows prickly pears near Agrigento. Millions of euros are being released in Rome and Palermo. "That's not what we need. We need better reservoirs and wells," says Bonanno. "The real farmer loves his land, he gets up every morning and works hard. We want to be able to work."

The resentment of the Sicilians is exacerbated by the fact that on the one hand the reservoirs are drying up and on the other hand the pools in many tourist areas are full to bursting. Lake Fanaco, which supplied several municipalities with water, is running dry, and Lake Pergusa, Sicily's largest natural lake, is also almost dry.

Concerns about the impact on tourism

In fact, the Sicilian authorities are going to great lengths to ensure that holidaymakers do not notice the lack of water and the drought. In the particularly affected south of Sicily, the so-called Valley of the Temples near Agrigento is one of the most popular attractions for tourists. The local authorities are trying to reassure holidaymakers that they do not have to worry about the effects of the drought. The water supply is being prioritized. However, according to Italian media reports, the first hotels are also running out of water.

According to the hotel industry association Federalberghi, the current situation is not having any impact on tourism. However, the business association Confcommercio is sounding the alarm and warning of the threat that the water shortage poses to tourism. The association appealed not to underestimate the consequences for an important source of income in Sicily.

New strategies required from the authorities

Will the authorities draw any conclusions from this extreme summer for the coming years? Forecasts by researchers do not bode well. Some experts even predict that a third of Sicily could turn into a desert landscape by 2030. Leonardo Noto from the University of Palermo, on the other hand, assumes in his report that the island will become increasingly dry and desert-like by the end of the century.

Experts and the inhabitants of Sicily agree that water management urgently needs to be changed. Until then, the Sicilians will have to find new solutions. This year, some are already collecting water in makeshift bathtubs or in containers on their balconies - in addition to the underground cisterns they purchased years ago.