Po River in Italy Faces Worst Drought in 70 Years Makes 160-Foot Submerged Zibello Shipwreck Visible in the Surface

Po River, Italy's largest river, has not seen rain in over 110 days and the water in its large stretches is running low that residents can now walk through the middle of the expanse of sand and shipwrecks resurfacing.

More so, the drought threatens the country's drinking water supply, irrigation for farming, and hydroelectric power plants. Authorities are worried that there will be a serious water shortage across northern Italy if it does not rain soon.

(Photo : PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images)
A view shows a barge that was sunk by WWII American bombing in 1944 while preventing retreat of the German army, that re-emerged due to severe drought from the River Po in Gualtieri, Italy on June 15, 2022.

Zibello Ship Resurfaces in Italy's Largest River

The Zibello ship was a 160-foot (48.8-meter) barge used in World War II to deliver wood before it sank in 1943. According to the Associated Press, the shipwreck is hidden beneath the Po River. However, the drought has caused the river water levels to drop so low that the shipwreck is already visible to onlookers.

Amateur cyclist Raffaele Vezzali told the AP that it was his first time seeing the barge that is usually under the waters of Po. Alessio Bonin took photos of the shipwreck via his drone and said in an interview that the residents were aware of the boat's existence as the bow of the boat was visible. But it was not until this March that it completely resurfaced.

"I've never seen such a drought at this time of year - our main worry used to be our river flooding, now we worry about it disappearing," Bonin said.

However, the resurfaced World War II-era shipwreck and sandy beaches are just the tip of the iceberg of the drought's disruption to northern Italy. Authorities said that the drying up of the Po River, which runs 405 miles (652 kilometers) from the northwestern city of Turin to Venice, is affecting the drinking water supply and the irrigation system.

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Climate Change Causing Record-Breaking Drought in Italy

It has not rained n the region for more than three months and this year's snowfall is 70% less than previous years. Moreover, aquifers that hold groundwater are depleted.

The country is also experiencing 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above the season average, melting the tiny snowfields and glaciers left at the top of the Alps that leave Po River without the summer water reservoirs.

Po River Basin Authority is blaming it all on climate change that triggered the worst drought in 70 years, Science Alert reported. Meuccio Berselli, secretary-general of the Po River Basin Authority, said that river flow in one riverside called Boretto is now only 80,000 gallons per second from the typical water flow of 476,000 gallons per second.

The authority constantly monitors the river flow but has low hopes that the water level will improve because June rains are usually extreme but highly localized that the land will just absorb it and will not reach the Po River.

They are currently working on a resiliency plan to guarantee drinking and irrigation water to millions of households and Po valley farmers who produce 40% of Italy's food. Part of this plan is higher draining from Alpine lakes, lower water for hydroelectric plants, and rationing of water in upstream regions.