Salt shock: the rivers of Italy are filled with sea water because of the unprecedented drought

The country's waterways are suffering from a lack of winter snow, making seawater intrusion easier, Reuters reported. The influx of seawater into the Po River makes irrigation almost impossible in parts of Italy, as it could cause further damage to already scorched crops. To make matters worse, rainfall this year has halved. And in some areas it has not rained for several months.

As you know, the length of the Po River is more than 650 km from west to east. Its water irrigates the northern regions of Italy, which account for about a third of the country's agricultural production. Desertification against the backdrop of drought threatens about 28% of Italy. Even the famous Lake Como can suffer.

And just over a quarter of Italy is in danger of becoming a desert. Some winemakers believe that the drought will reduce the number of vineyards, driving up the price of alcohol. True, in general, wines today produce more than they consume. In this regard, for the most part, if part of the vineyards cease to function, there will be no strong imbalance.

Italians fight drought in a variety of ways. For example, the mayor of Castenazo banned barbers from washing their hair twice, setting a fine of 500 euros for violating the ban, reports The Guardian. And the authorities of Milan, in order to save water, ordered to turn off all the fountains in the city.