‘33% desert’: Sicily battles its worst drought ever

87% of the island's water is lost; the last source of natural water has dried up; residents are forced to use wells. CGTN’s Hermione Kitson reports.

Transcript

00:00For two decades, this organic farm in the heart of Sicily has been the breeding ground for hundreds of Gurgentana goats,

00:07an endangered species from the island's south.

00:13But due to severe drought, farmer Luca Camerata says his future, and that of his beloved goats, is uncertain.

00:23If we don't deal with this emergency, our zoo technical and genetic heritage will all be slaughtered,

00:29and the Sicilian territory will lose a lot.

00:33The last time the 53-year-old saw any significant rainfall was two years ago.

00:41There's not a drop of water anywhere. It's something very sad.

00:45The famous Lake Pergusa has also dried up. It was Sicily's last source of natural water.

00:51Climate experts say that by 2030, a big part of the island will be affected by desertification.

00:58Just imagine, 87% of the water of the entire region of Sicily is already gone.

01:09So far this year, every month has set a new heat record for Sicily, while at the same time there's been 40% less rainfall.

01:17Fire authorities say this season could be one of the most challenging.

01:21Last summer, fires destroyed 700 hectares of bushland, and came dangerously close to the UNESCO site of Segesta.

01:31In May, the Italian government announced a state of emergency,

01:34and allocated close to $22 million to buy water tankers, dig new wells, and fix leaky aqueducts.

01:42It has not only to do with the climate, but also with a very severe mismanagement of the water resources.

01:50We need to invest in resources. If there are EU recovery funds, we need to reconstruct the water and irrigation networks.

01:57There are things I believe we can do, but we need to sit down at the table and plan for the future.

02:03Another solution on the table is revamping or rebuilding the island's old desalination plants.

02:09That will take time. Another precious resource that the scorching island has little of.

02:15Luca says it's a battle on several fronts, but is willing to keep up the fight.

02:20We will try to resist. We have to give it everything we've got.

02:24Hermione Kitson, CGTN, Sicily.