Climate Crisis: Drought emergency result of 'perfect storm' of factors

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 22 - Meuccio Berselli, the secretary general of the Po River District Authority, said Wednesday that Italy's ongoing severe drought is the result of a "perfect storm" of factors.
    He said that, even though summer has only just started, "we are without water resources (already).
    "It is a perfect storm because in the last six-eight months the level of winter snow reached a peak of 60-70% less (than the usual level), which affected the storage of water needed to fill the big lakes.
    "Secondly, it hasn't rained in the Po valley basin for at least 120 days. Thirdly, temperatures are 3-4 degrees above the average for the period".
    The government looks set to grant requests from the regions worst-affected by the drought for a state of emergency to be declared in these areas.
    The drought alert has spread from the Po valley, where waters are three quarters down amid the worst drought in 70 years, to central rivers like the Arno, the Aniene and the Tiber, which have half the water they normally do at this time of the year, officials said last week.
    The Po drought threatens over 30% of the national farm output.
    Farmers association Coldiretti said Wednesday that the damage is currently estimated at over three billion euros.
    Restrictions on the use of water have already been imposed in some areas and many towns are having to have water brought in by trucks.
    The regions affected are assessing adopting water rationing with, for example, bans of swimming pools being filled up.
    More frequent and intense droughts are among the consequences of human-caused climate change, scientists say. (ANSA).