Sicily is on the brink of an environmental catastrophe as its iconic farming heritage faces grave threats due to an ongoing drought, with the crisis escalating while tourists continue to descend upon the Italian island.
UK holidaygoers are being cautioned about the water scarcity that is intensifying for the island’s rural communities.
The Mediterranean gem is battling a drastic water shortage, recorded as one of the worst in the island’s history, as a mere 150mm of rain was recorded over the last six months of 2023.
With temperatures soaring, the Italian government has called a state of emergency in May amid fears presented by the blistering heat.
Alarmingly, around 70 percent of Sicily is now vulnerable to desertification. In light of this critical situation, the region’s governor, Renato Schifani, has expressed his concern.
He vowed: “I will not go on vacation, just as I did not go last year due to the fire emergency: it would not seem responsible to me to leave my land, even if I needed it.
“There is an unprecedented drought emergency, I will stay in Palermo to coordinate the actions of the Civil Protection and to contact Palazzo Chigi: it is an extraordinary event born of climate change”.
Additionally, local farmers have been sensing the harsh impact of the drought, with one commenting to The Guardian: “A seasoned farmer doesn’t need to check the weather forecast to understand what the weather will be like.
“Already last January, I knew it would be a disastrous year. The wheat seedlings that normally reached 80cm stopped at 5cm. Then they dried up.”
“Tourist destinations in southern Europe, such as Spain and Sicily, have always been popular choices among travellers,” explains Christian Mulder, a notable ecology and climate crisis academic at the University of Catania.
He highlighted the disregard for local resources as he said: “The average tourist seeks the sun, regardless of the lack of water, and demands that water be readily available.”
The expert then warned about the serious implications of mass tourism: “Overtourism increases pressure on Sicily’s already scarce water resources, with inevitable consequences for the environment.”
Further raising alarms, locals at one of the most sought-after vacation spots have been cautioned that their region is turning into a “ticking timebomb”.
One local farmer voiced his distress, stating, “Without water, my cows no longer produce milk.”
He lamented the deteriorating conditions: “The land is slowly becoming desertified. Even in our own family, we are forced to shower and cook using bottled water because there is no running water left.”
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