Po River drought threatens Northern Italy's agriculture and ecosystems

Severe drought and heatwaves in Northern Italy have drastically reduced water reserves, particularly affecting the Po River and surrounding lakes. In the Lombardy region, available water reserves have dropped to approximately 798.5 million cubic meters, which is less than half of the seasonal average of 1.6 billion cubic meters.

Satellite imagery from the Copernicus program shows unusually large sand and gravel banks exposed along the Po near Cremona. Downstream in the Ferrara province, discharge rates have fallen significantly below seasonal averages. This low flow has allowed saltwater to intrude 20 to 25 kilometers into the river delta, making the water too saline for agricultural irrigation. Consequently, irrigation has been partially suspended, threatening crops and harming freshwater fisheries and river ecosystems.

The water scarcity level for the entire Po basin was upgraded from "medium" to "high" at the end of July. Similar conditions are impacting the Veneto region, where rivers such as the Brenta, Tagliamento, Livenza, and Piave are seeing reduced flows and saltwater intrusion.