Italy's Emilia and Lombardy face severe drought and water cuts

In the Emilia region, unusually high June temperatures and a month without rain have sharply lowered groundwater levels and river flows. At Cerezzola, irrigation withdrawals have been halted as the Enza river’s flow fell from 532 to 318 cubic metres per second. Local water manager Luciano Catellani blamed opponents of the Vetto dam, saying, “The damages should be claimed from those who oppose the dam.” The Bonifica dell’Emilia Centrale is running fourteen pumps, raising water delivery from 24 to 30 cubic metres per second, but the situation remains critical for farms.

Meanwhile, in Lombardy, regional councilor Miriam Cominelli demanded the activation of the water‑crisis commission and a hearing for agriculture minister Beduschi, noting that the commission created in 2023 has never met. She highlighted a deficit of two‑thirds of normal water volumes, with snow‑melt reservoirs down 66 % and an overall 26.5 % shortfall compared with historical averages. The shortage threatens crops across the region and underscores growing summer‑dryness linked to climate change.