There are fears of an agricultural “catastrophe” in Italy as a result of seawater damage to crops caused by the worst drought in seventy years.
“If there is no rain in the next 10 to 15 days, the remaining crops will perish. At this point, the harvest is diminishing,” an environmental activist says.
The River Po, which flows more than 650 kilometers (403 miles) from west to east across the northern portion of the country, is drying up due to an early summer heatwave and a lack of winter snow.
Waves from the Adriatic Sea have been crashing through anti-salt barriers and pushing downstream, making it more difficult for already-struggling farmers to irrigate due to the high temperatures.
“Saltwater enters the water table,” stated Giancarlo Mantovani, director of Reclaiming the Po.
“There are portions of the fields devoid of vegetation and others where plants thrive,” he added.
“If there is no rain in the next 10 to 15 days, the remaining crops will perish. At present, we are gradually losing the harvest.”
Luigi Ferraris, a farmer in the province of Pavia near Milan, estimated that the crisis could last for at least two years.
He stated, “Rice is harvested in September and October.” “July and August are still to come – two hot months – my concern is that if it doesn’t rain…
“I’m not saying it’s a disaster, but we’re getting close.”
After villages in the southern state of Carinthia were cut off by mudslides and flooding caused by heavy rainfall, Austria declared a civil emergency.
According to local media, streams had overflowed their banks and mud had buried homes up to the first floor.
Bernd Riepan, district captain, reported that two people were missing, one of whom was reportedly in their vehicle when it was swept away by the floodwaters.
ORF reported that residents of Treffen and Arriach were instructed to seek shelter on the upper floors of their homes.
Several individuals who were trapped in their homes were airlifted to safety using helicopters.
Gerald Ebner, the mayor of Arriach, stated that the town was cut off from the outside world.
“All connecting roads have been destroyed,” he remarked.
He added that they were awaiting the army’s arrival with heavy equipment to assist in making the roads passable again and re-establishing contact with isolated households.
