Drought decree must include financial cover - Salvini

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 22 - Deputy Premier and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday a package of proposed measures to tackle Italy's growing water-shortage crisis must also include the necessary financial cover.
    "Otherwise there's no way out," Salvini said at a conference on World Water Day.
    The decree could be presented at a cabinet meeting next week.
    The deputy prime minister also said a more striking communication campaign is under consideration to try to mitigate the water-shortage crisis.
    "The name of the commissioner is the least of our problems," said Salvini in reference to government plans to set up a task force and emergency commissioner to tackle Italy's drought emergency and other water issues until the end of the year.
    The problem, he said, "is being able to spend funds, have streamlined procedures and well-paid qualified staff".
    Scientists say that extreme weather events like heat waves, supercharged storms, flooding and droughts are becoming more frequent and more intense because of climate change caused by human greenhouse-gas emissions. (ANSA).