Po River water scarcity pits Italian farms against expanding data centers

Italy’s Po River basin is experiencing severe water shortages, with reservoir levels 35% below average as the irrigation season begins. The regional water observatory warned that current supplies will last only a few weeks, prompting Lombardy officials to ask electricity companies to divert water from hydroelectric reservoirs to support farmers. At the same time, the rapid growth of data‑center capacity in northern Italy, driven by the artificial‑intelligence industry, is projected to consume up to 12% of the nation’s total water use by 2035, equating to the demand of tens of thousands of residents. The competing needs of agriculture and high‑tech facilities have sparked debate over water‑use regulations, with a new bill under discussion in the Senate but no national law yet in force.

A separate study published in *Nature Communications* highlighted that global crop production is increasingly vulnerable to drought, identifying hotspots in the United States, Brazil, Spain and India. The research suggests that expanding sustainable irrigation and shifting to more drought‑resistant crops could cut potential yield losses by over 60%, underscoring the broader relevance of Italy’s water‑stress challenges.