Italy plagued by extreme drought

Low water levels in rivers and lakes, extreme drought in fields, worried populations: faced with the worst drought northern Italy has experienced in 70 years, Rome has declared a state of emergency in five regions. Commentators stress that Italy is not the only region affected by this crisis.

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Corriere della Sera (IT) /

Not national phenomena

We must think globally also when it comes to disaster prevention, Corriere della Sera urges:

“The earth will survive. The question is whether we will survive if we continue like this. And not just physically, because avalanches, hurricanes, floods and droughts have devastating consequences, but also because our young species, can only conceive of itself in this environment, which is an integral part of its historical, cultural and psychological identity. ... What's more, there is no issue on the political agenda in recent years that does not have the same global, supranational, epochal character. ... And this stands in stark contrast to our national, if not provincial, approach to politics.”

Kleine Zeitung (AT) /

Look who hasn't done their homework

The effects of the drought are being exacerbated by self-inflicted problems, the Kleine Zeitung explains:

“After this latest evidence of increasingly frequent, violent weather extremes, only die-hard non-believers are likely to demand further proof. And it's time they woke up. ... Rationing drinking water is as radical as it is unavoidable. And it affects everyone. For Italy's crisis management, too, action is long overdue. Thousands of kilometres of sea coast won't help here either. In addition to the climate crisis, Italy is struggling with homemade problems. The water infrastructure is dilapidated and outdated, and is causing the precious water to seep away. Mammoth tasks to be tackled.”

Tygodnik Powszechny (PL) /

Water shortages also ailing Poland

Tygodnik Powszechny voices concern about the heat waves across Europe:

“Even before the calendar summer began, Poland was hit by a heat wave. Similar record temperatures are being registered everywhere. The June heatwave was the earliest ever recorded in France, with temperatures 10-14 degrees above normal for that month. Records were also set in Germany and the Czech Republic. In San Sebastian, Spain, temperatures soared to 43.5 degrees centigrade. ... This summer could already see water shortages not in dozens of municipalities in Poland, as has been the case in recent years, but in many more. ... And this is just a foretaste.”