Sardinia And Sicily Are Becoming Increasingly Arid With Climate Change
State of emergency were declared by Sicily in March and Sardinia in July
IMAGE COURTESY : Europe – CGTN
Climate change has doubled the likelihood of the droughts driving crippling water shortages and agricultural losses in Sardinia and Sicily, a rapid analysis by a team of leading scientists found. The study by World Weather Attribution warns that similar droughts will worsen with every fraction of a degree of warming, highlighting the urgent need to reduce emissions to net zero.
The analysis found:
● Persistent heat that evaporates water from soils, plants and reservoirs is driving the rise in drought risk.
● Without the effects of human-caused warming, the droughts on both islands would not have been classified as ‘extreme.’
● The Italian islands will continue to experience more severe droughts with further fossil fuel driven warming, threatening harvests of crops including wheat and olives.
● Effective water management will be crucial in future years with low rainfall.
Mariam Zachariah, Researcher at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said: – “Sardinia and Sicily are becoming increasingly arid with climate change. Searing, long lasting heat is hitting the islands more frequently, evaporating water from soils, plants and reservoirs. For the farmers and the towns that have endured months of water restrictions, this study is confirmation – climate change is intensifying the droughts.”
The droughts follow a year of exceptionally low rainfall and persistent heat in Sardinia and Sicily. While the Italian islands normally experience hot and dry summers, the droughts are among the worst on record. Sicilian farmers have experienced huge losses of wheat and have had to prematurely slaughter animals, while olive trees in some regions of the island are dropping olives months ahead of the harvest.
The drought has also hit local residents and tourism, with both islands experiencing months of water rationing. Bone-dry conditions have also seen outbreaks of wildfires that have destroyed forests and farmland. State of emergency were declared by Sicily in March and Sardinia in July.
The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy
