Drought in Sicily ‘disastrous’: water rationed

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The island’s government has declared a state of emergency, news agency reports. Water reserves have all but dried up. Residents, but also farmers, receive water on rations. This means that a limited amount of water can be purchased per inhabitant. Some people have filled their bathtubs to have a supply.

“Water is gold here,” says Antonio, who lives in the southern Sicilian city of Agrigento. He regularly fills bottles with water from the city fountain. Waitress Maria Maneri also walks back and forth with bottles of water. “This makes making tea or cooking pasta a tiring job,” she says.

February was the warmest February on record worldwide. The high temperatures have major consequences for the availability of water. This is noticeable in the southernmost areas of Europe, such as Sicily.

Disastrous

In the southernmost part of the island, farmers are having a very difficult time. They mainly produce citrus fruits, olives and wheat. They are used to drought, but now even the reservoirs on the roofs, where rain is collected, are as good as dry.

It is feared that the coming months will be disastrous if no rain falls. Many Sicilians expect things will only get worse. “In the future, there will probably be even less rain in winter,” said Peppe Riccobene from Agrigento. “We are experiencing the impact of climate change more every year.”