Sardinia declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, 30 July for reasons of persistent drought and lack of drinking water. The tourist hub has not seen rain in weeks as temperatures continue to rise.
ADVERTISEMENTSardinia declared a state of emergency on Tuesday due to a persistent drought crippling the island and creating a lack of drinking water.
The tourism hub has not seen rain for weeks as temperatures in the region continue to rise. The island is expected to see heat of 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
The announcement was made by the regional council following a session called by President of the autonomous region Alessandra Todde. The provision will remain in force until December 31st.
Todde said that “there is an urgent need to resort to first and immediate risk mitigation measures aimed at containing the effects of the ongoing water crisis,” adding that “extraordinary procedures such as the declaration of a state of emergency” were necessary.
Funds “for the management of the ongoing emergency” are expected to help manage the crisis, according to local media.
The scarcity of water has been drastically affecting agricultural and industrial activities, the tourism sector and the daily lives of Sardinian citizens.
Marco Meloni, an Italian senator, said it was imperative to adopt urgent and extraordinary measures to deal with the emergency.
He called not only for short-term solutions to the drought, but also long-term strategies to mitigate the effect of climate change and drought on Italian islands.
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily and is a major tourist hotspot.