Italy grapples with severe water scarcity and quality crises

Lombardy and Trentino have signed a two‑year water‑sharing pact to pump up to 10 million m³ of water to Lake Idro, aiming to mitigate the regional drought that has left the lake at a 43.4 % deficit. Across the Po basin, the river’s flow has dropped by about 65 %, allowing salty Adriatic water to advance 18 km inland and prompting restrictions on irrigation and water‑borne transport. The basin authority confirmed a “medium‑severity” water shortage, while municipalities in Anzio and Nettuno have held emergency meetings with water operator Acqualatina over days of dry taps. In Liguria, a proposed megadepuratore in Chiavari faces criticism for discharging most treated water back to the sea.

Environmental monitoring by Legambiente’s Goletta campaigns reveals mixed lake health: 75 % of sampled points in Lazio meet legal limits, but several sites are “strongly polluted,” notably three points in Sabaudia and a channel in Bolsena. In Basilicata, one of five coastal sampling points was “strongly polluted” at the Bufaloria channel. Overall, the data show improving trends in many lakes but persistent pollution hotspots requiring further action.