The Po River, Italy's longest, has reached record low water levels after months without
A huge waterway stretching from the Alps tonorthwest to the Adriatic Sea on the east coast of Italy, is a vital source of water for several regions. The river is important for replenishing drinking water supplies, irrigating agricultural land, and also for generating hydroelectric power throughout the northern part of the country.
Video: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2020–22), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Now the water level in the Po Valley has fallen to a recordlow level. This was partly due to the lack of rainfall that plagues northern Italy, as well as the high temperatures and lack of snow in the mountains that feed the river. According to scientists, in many of these areas it has not rained for more than 110 days.
The Po River is usually a wide patch of muddy water (as seen in the June 2020 image), but it has now dried up and exposed a large patch of sand (as seen in the June 2022 image).
The Po Valley is the most importantagricultural region of the country, as it produces about 40% of Italy's food, including wheat, rice and tomatoes. Due to the ongoing drought, farmers are struggling to keep their crops irrigated.
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