Between Bardolino, Sirmione and Desenzano: Lake Garda’s water shortage is becoming more serious. Now the Italian government in Rome is getting involved.
Munich / Rome / Lake Garda – Italy Not only are many places struggling with the mass rush of tourists, like Bean Sorrento, Positano and Salerno where the famous Amalfitana on the Amalfi Coast It can only be accessed to a limited extent.
Drought and water shortages in Lake Garda: Italy appoints a special commissioner
If the German language Vacationers highway “Brinero” If you drive south, you’ll find the much-missed Lake Garda on the right-hand side between the Affi exit and the city of Verona (pop. 250,000). But: The country’s largest inland water body, covering an area of 370 square kilometers, is fighting among themselves Torbole, Bardolino, Sirmione, Desenzano and Lime sul Garda since spring 2022 with sometimes significantly lower water levels lack of precipitation.
Now the Italian government in Rome intervened and appointed a special commissioner to combat drought and drought throughout Italy. The situation on Lake Garda must have been tumultuous for this decision Do played a decisive role.
This is remarkable because there have been strong decentralization tendencies in the Italian political system since the 1990s. Simplified: Problems must first be resolved on site. But the local authorities apparently can no longer do so in this case. The special commissioner is now set to remain in office until the end of the year, with the possibility of a one-year extension. His name: Nicola Dell’Acqua, which roughly translates to “Nicolas of the Water.”
Water shortage in Lake Garda: Low water level between Bardolino and Sirmione
sea Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) Dell’Acqua was previously head of the “Veneto Agricoltura” regional authority and in this capacity he has already coordinated all projects to combat drought in the Veneto region, which also includes the southeastern shore of Lake Garda. When Dell’ Acqua took office, he demanded that all the different departments and levels of management work in the same direction.
After a high-level meeting, Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini also announced 100 million euros in emergency aid for urgent action. Time is of the essence: In northern Italy and the Alps, it rains very little. Accordingly, the water levels in the lakes of northern Italy are falling. “We are recording a volume of water that has not been so low in the past,” said Pierlucio Ceresa, general secretary of the Federation of Lake Garda Municipalities, in February. tagesschau.de quoted. On 31 March, outright dramatic numbers were reported for Lake Garda.
Specifically: according to data from the Agenzia Interregionale per il fiume PO (abbreviated AIPO), the water level on March 31, 2023 was on average only 47 cm above the specified comparative zero value. AIPO is a public body that collects water levels around Po. It is the largest river in Italy, whose tributary, the Mincio, originates near Peschiera del Garda. Comparison: in 2018 the water level in Lake Garda was still 90 cm on average, and in 2013 it was 130 cm.
Drought in Lake Garda, Italy: The water level has not risen for months
Striking: Water levels have been rising for months, according to Allgau newspaper Not as usual in the spring. The water level in January averaged 46 cm and in February it averaged 45 cm – all historic lows. (evening)
