“We want water”: Sicilians protest against water scarcity

Hundreds of Sicilians protested this Friday (2) against water shortages and poor management of water resources on the Italian island, which was severely affected by a drought this year.

Protests in Agrigento

In the city of Agrigento, located on the south coast of Sicily, protesters took to the streets to draw the attention of local authorities. With a banner that said “we want water” and shouting “shame, shame” and “water is a right for everyone, water is a fundamental right”, residents expressed their outrage.

The organizers of the march highlighted that “the population is exhausted by the constant lack of water and the ineffective management of water resources” on the drought-affected island.

“The water situation in the city and province has become unbearable, with frequent cuts and unsustainable rationing,” the group said in a statement.

Agrigento, a city of 55 inhabitants, is best known for its “valley of the temples”, an important archaeological site housing well-preserved Greek temples, listed as UNESCO World Heritage.

Emergency measures

At an emergency meeting held on Friday, Sicilian authorities adopted measures that should increase the amount of water available in Agrigento by 20% over the next 10 days, according to the Ansa news agency.

The archdiocese of Agrigento on Friday denounced the “inadequate supply of water” and called for “urgent and effective emergency solutions”.

The Italian government, in early May, declared a state of emergency for the southern island, releasing funds for the purchase of water trucks, drilling wells and renewing pumping and desalination stations.

Impact on agriculture

Formerly the barn of the old Rome, Sicily is expected to see its wheat harvest collapse by more than 50% this year, according to Coldiretti, the largest association representing and assisting Italian agriculture.

Meanwhile, 5.800 hectares of farmland have been consumed by fire since early July due to fires breaking out in dry conditions, the group reported, on an island heavily affected by human-induced climate change.

Waste of water

The effects of the drought are exacerbated by a lack of investment in infrastructure to avoid wasting water, Coldiretti said.

According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat), Sicily has one of the highest rates of drinking water waste in the country, with 51,6% of water being lost in distribution circuits in 2022.