There is little water in Sicily. The rain has been absent for months and the situation has become so critical that even in Palermo, as in other municipalities, the traffic police will fine those who use drinking water to water plants, wash cars or clean courtyards.
The data speaks clearly: the drought from October 2023 to March 2024 is the most severe since 1980, with rainfall halved compared to 2022 and a water deficit that worries the entire region.
Water resources are at historic lows. The Sicilian reservoirs are 75% empty and the drought, which began in autumn, is worsened by climate change and desertification.
The emergency is “high” and the Region has implemented a series of countermeasures such as reactivation of wells, search for new ones, water rationing and savings awareness campaigns.
The Schifani government declared a state of crisis and emergency and asked the Council of Ministers to do the same at a national level. If approved, this status would allow the Region to implement extraordinary measures such as the use of watermakers and the construction of new wells. «The situation is particularly critical in the central area of the island», explains Salvatore Cocina, general manager of the Civil Protection of Sicily. «The area is fed by two artificial lakes which have a very low level due to drought – he continues -. A rationing plan has been applied that will allow us to reach September, but as a precaution we can fear a significant drinking water crisis in these municipalities.”
In the meantime, in more than 150 municipalities water is already rationed for over a million people. The supply has been reduced from 10 to 45% and the situation could worsen in view of the summer.
The weather forecast is not comforting. A subtropical anticyclone will bring stability and above-average temperatures in the coming days, worsening the water crisis. It will be necessary to evaluate whether the rains of the last few days have been sufficient to fill the reservoirs a little.
There is concern for the citrus sector. “Citrus fruits without irrigation will hardly be able to survive next summer, especially if it were to experience record temperatures like last year,” declares Placido Manganaro, president of Fruitimprese Sicilia.
In the tourism sector there is a lot of concern ahead of the summer. Hoteliers fear having to tell customers that they cannot shower, while the president of Federalberghi Sicilia is confident in government intervention for effective and long-lasting solutions.
President Schifani invites us not to create alarmism: “the situation is critical but tourists should not have any problems”. Summer is upon us and the countermeasures have been activated, even if the agricultural sector will need tax relief and economic aid.
