Italy’s Po river runs low as drought threatens farms and water supplies

At the confluence with the Ticino, boats now sit in shallow, muddy water surrounded by sand, algae and exposed gravel banks. The Po River Basin Authority says flows are well below seasonal averages, with levels at several monitoring stations approaching or exceeding records set during the severe drought of 2022.

The Po is vital to northern Italy’s agricultural heartland, including the Food Valley around Parma, where fruit, vegetables and rice depend on its water. Exceptionally low levels are also affecting supplies, with Ansa reporting tanker deliveries to more than 100 municipalities in Piedmont and Lombardy.

Around Pavia, the river has narrowed to a shallow channel, leaving large areas of riverbed exposed and making navigation increasingly difficult for leisure boats and rowing clubs. In the rice-growing Lomellina area, officials warn that the situation could worsen without significant rainfall, forcing farmers to rely increasingly on groundwater and emergency measures.

Further downstream, near Parma, tributaries and irrigation canals serving intensive fruit and vegetable farming are also running low. Farmers report that water rationing is already affecting irrigation schedules, while the basin authority has identified the stretch below Piacenza as particularly vulnerable as falling water levels expose tree trunks and other debris.

In Turin, the Po has been reduced to a slow-moving, algae-covered channel. Municipal crews have been using excavators mounted on barges to clear dense growth of invasive aquatic plants near the city centre. Regional data show that the river’s flow through Turin has fallen by more than half since June, while at the Sant’Antonio island monitoring station downstream, discharge has at times dropped to around a quarter of its normal level.

Officials warn that heat and low water are accelerating algae and invasive species, disrupting navigation and recreation. The prolonged heat has also worsened drought and wildfires across Europe, putting further pressure on water resources.