ON THE EDGE OF WATER'S BLUES - enzoparisi

ON THE EDGE OF WATER’S BLUES

Garda Lake, Italy’s largest freshwater basin, was hit in 2022-2023 by an extraordinary drought that lasted a year.

In the winter of 2023, usually a period of maximum fullness of the lake, the lake’s water level had reached its lowest point since 1953. Each centimeter decrease represents a loss of approximately 3.7 million cubic meters of water.

This exceptional drought we witnessed could be the new normality in the future. The Adamello glacier, one of the main sources of the lake’s water could completely disappear by 2100. Several studies suggest an ongoing aggravation of the region’s climate, with more decrease in precipitation, a significant increase in temperatures, and heat waves, that are already compromising, among other things, the normal temperature of the water.

The lake provides nearly 900 million cubic meters of water for agriculture every year, is a source of drinking water for several municipalities in the area, is a producer of hydroelectric energy, supports several endemic and endangered species, attracts tourists, and supports the fishing industry, and beyond its immediate surroundings, Garda Lake’s importance extends to the Pianura Padana area, crucial for “Made in Italy” production.

Thus, possible consequences in the future encompass, besides environmental concerns, economic and cultural implications.