IN DEEP
WATER
INSIDE THE SICILIAN WATER CRISIS
Blufi (Pa), October 2024. A man considers the state of degradation of the Blufi dam, a work begun and never completed, which was supposed to collect the waters of the Imera river and be used as a water reserve.
LA CRISI IDRICA attanaglia la Sicilia dal 2023, anno in cui eÌ€ stata registrata una precipitazione media annuale a livello regionale pari a 558 mm, per il quarto anno consecutivo ben al di sotto della media storica di 750 mm. Ad oggi nell’Isola si vive una condizione simile ai paesi in guerra, con circa 140 comuni con acqua potabile razionata ogni 6/7 giorni, bacini idrici quasi aridi ed infrastrutture fatiscenti. Il caso più grave è la Provincia di Enna, dove le riserve d'acqua sono state stimate sufficienti fino al 20 Novembre 2024. Dopo questa data, se non si troveranno fonti di approvviggionamento alternative, circa 250.000 abitanti rimar-ranno senz'acqua.
Agli inizi del 2024, l’AutoritaÌ€ di Bacino ha confermato lo stato di severitaÌ€ idrica elevata nel Distretto Idrografico della Sicilia, per entrambi i settori irriguo e potabile. Le scarse precipitazioni e le temperature ben al di sopra della media stagionale non hanno permesso il riempimento di invasi e laghi utilizzati per l’approvvigionamento idrico. Infatti, giaÌ€ a fine febbraio, gli invasi mostravano un volume netto utile di risorsa idrica disponibile di 158,03 milioni di metri cubi (Mmc), notevolmente inferiore ai 317,45 Mmc previsti per il periodo da marzo a dicembre del 2023, evidenziando cosiÌ€ un deficit superiore al 50%.
THE WATER CRISIS has gripped Sicily since 2023, when a regional average annual precipitation of 558 mm was recorded, for the fourth consecutive year well below the historical average of 750 mm. Today, the island is experiencing a condition similar to wartorn countries, with some 140 municipalities with drinking water rationed every 6/7 days, almost barren water reservoirs and crumbling infrastructure. The most serious case is the Province of Enna, where water reserves are estimated to be sufficient until 20 November 2024. After this date, if no alternative sources of supply are found, approximately 250,000 inhabitants will remain without water.
In early 2024, the Basin Authority con- firmed the high water severity status in the Hydrographic District of Sicily, for both the irrigation and drinking water sectors. The low rainfall and temperatures well above the seasonal average did not allow the filling of reservoirs and lakes used for water supply. In fact, already at the end of February, the reservoirs showed a net usable volume of available water resources of 158.03 million cubic me- tres (Mmc), considerably less than the 317.45 Mmc forecast for the period from March to December 2023, thus showing a deficit of more than 50%.
Troina (En), October 2024. The Àncipa dam can hold 40 million m/ c of water, today only 2 million m/c remain. It supplies 14 municipalities in the province of Enna with drinking water, totalling some 250,000 inhabitants. /
Con la delibera n° 100 dell’11 marzo, il presidente della Regione Sicilia, Renato Schifani, ha proclamato lo stato di emergenza per la crisi idrica nel settore potabile, estendendolo fino al 31 dicembre 2024. La delibera di marzo ha intensificato le misure di razionamento dell'acqua, giaÌ€ attive in diversi comuni siciliani dal 2023, per mitigare la crisi idrica nel breve termine e conservare le risorse fino alla stagione delle piogge autunnali. Specificamente, il razionamento implica una riduzione della portata delle forniture idriche dal 10% al 45% in 105 comuni a rischio siccitaÌ€ nelle province di Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Messina, Palermo e Trapani.
With resolution No. 100 of 11 March, Sicilian Regional President Renato Schifani proclaimed a state of emergency for the water crisis in the drinking water sector, extending it until 31 December 2024. The March resolution intensified water rationing measures, already active in several Sicilian municipalities since 2023, to mitigate the water crisis in the short term and conserve resources until the autumn rainy season. Specifically, the rationing involves reducing the flow of water supplies from 10% to 45% in 105 municipalities at risk of drought in the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Messina, Palermo and Trapani.
Sferro, (Ct), October 2024. Rosario, a farmer from the Catania plain, with what remains of his orchard. Due to drought, rising temperatures and the recent water crisis, the tarocco orange plants, typical of this area, have not been able to survive. /
Andando in giro per le provincie siciliane incontro molta gente arrabbiata, una donna mi racconta di suo padre. "Tra la fine degli anni '50 e fino a tutti gli anni '60 mio padre lavorava alle dipendenze dell' AMAL di Enna (Azienda Municipalizzata Acqua e Luce) presso la cabina di sollevamento sita a Furma. Negli anni '70, fino alla pensione, fu trasferito alla cabina di sollevamento di Sant' Anna. Enna aveva acqua in abbondanza sino a quando la gestione era affidata al Comune, poi è arrivata la privatizzazione".
Il punto è proprio questo, il sistematico smantellamento delle aziende pubbliche in favore delle attività private che spesso vengono insidiate da infiltrazioni mafiose.
Going around the Sicilian provinces I meet many angry people, one woman tells me about her father. ‘Between the end of the 1950s and throughout the 1960s, my father worked for AMAL in Enna (Azienda Municipalizzata Acqua e Luce - Municipal Water and Light Company) at the lifting cabin in Furma. In the 1970s, until his retirement, he was transferred to the Sant' Anna lifting cabin. Enna had plenty of water until management was entrusted to the municipality, then came privatisation'.
The point is precisely this, the syste-matic dismantling of public companies in favour of private activities that are often undermined by mafia infiltration.
Enna, October 2024. A family of farmers uses rainwater collected in tanks for household chores and animal needs. /
Enna, October 2024. A sheep farmer loads his tank with water collected from a public trough. /
Negli ultimi tre mesi la crisi idrica in Sicilia si è aggravata. Il report siccità dell'Autorità di Bacino di giugno 2024 evidenzia una marcata anomalia negativa nelle precipitazioni, che si attestano ben al di sotto della media storica. Secondo il Servizio Informativo Agrometeorologico Siciliano (SIAS), la media regionale delle precipitazioni mensili si è ridotta a circa 8mm, significativamente inferiore alla media di 11mm del periodo 2003/2022.
Le precipitazioni accumulate negli ultimi 12 mesi ammontano a 414mm, cifra comparabile a quella della grande siccitaÌ€ del 2002, che fu di 413mm. In alcune aree della Sicilia orientale, il deficit di precipitazioni supera il 60%. A questo si aggiungono temperature sopra la media stagionale, che in alcuni casi hanno superato i 40°C.
In the last three months, the water crisis in Sicily has worsened. The Basin Authority's drought report for June 2024 highlights a marked negative anomaly in rainfall, which is well below the historical average. According to the Sicilian Agrometeorological Information Service (SIAS), the regional average monthly rainfall has dropped to about 8 mm, significantly lower than the average of 11 mm for the 2003/2022 period.
The rainfall accumulated over the last 12 months amounts to 414 mm, a figure comparable to that of the great drought of 2002, which was 413 mm. In some areas of eastern Sicily, the rainfall deficit exceeds 60%. Added to this are temperatures above the seasonal average, which in some cases have exceeded 40°C.
Enna, October 2024. A herd of cows grazes in search of water in the middle of Lake Pergusa, which is completely dry. /
Queste condizioni climatiche hanno contri- buito ad un ulteriore aggravamento dello stato di siccità per l'anno in corso. A inizio luglio, 6 dei 29 invasi presenti nel distretto idrografico della Sicilia erano completa-mente a secco, con un volume utile netto per gli utilizzatori pari a zero.
Agrigento, May 2024. A man goes to the Bonamorone fountain to stock up on drinking water. /
These climatic conditions have contri-buted to a further worsening of the drought status for the current year. At the beginning of July, 6 of the 29 reservoirs in the hydrographic district of Sicily were completely dry, with a net useful volume for users of zero.
Enna, mid-1970s. An old postcard shows how Lake Pergusa looked during the 1970s. The lake was navigable and swimmable, you could even go fishing.
Enna, April - October 2023 / 2024. Lake Pergusa, this video clip shows the gradual draining of the natural basin over a period of about a year.
Il Lago di Pergusa, situato in Sicilia e cono- sciuto fin dalla remota antichità, è posto tra un gruppo di alture appartenenti ai monti Erei. Nel mondo classico fu il luogo dove si svolse il "ratto di Persefone" (Proserpina per i Romani), uno degli episodi mitologici più affascinanti ambien-tati a Pergusa. Il lago è una riserva naturale protetta che ha subito una grave perdita di biodiversità a causa della siccità e della mancata gestione ambientale.
Secondo Giuseppe Amato (Lega-mbiente Sicilia), il lago eÌ€ estinto, nei giorni di pioggia si forma solo una pozza d’acqua stagnante, ma per il resto puoÌ€ essere annoverato tra le zone desertiche dell’isola. Il fatto eÌ€ dovuto soprattutto alla mancanza di emissari, così l'acqua che nei millenni ha riempito il bacino lacustre ne eÌ€ uscita solamente per evaporazione, rilasciandovi i sali che nel tempo si erano disciolti dal terreno.
Lake Pergusa, located in Sicily and known since remote antiquity, is situated between a group of heights belonging to the Erei Mountains. In the classical world, it was the site of the ‘Rape of Persephone’ (Proser-pina for the Romans), one of the most fascinating mythological episodes set in Pergusa. The lake is a protected nature reserve that has suffered a serious loss of biodiversity due to drought and lack of environmental management.
According to Giuseppe Amato (Lega-mbiente Sicilia), the lake is extinct, on rainy days only a pool of stagnant water forms, but otherwise it can be counted among the desert areas of the island. The fact is mainly due to the lack of outlets, so the water that has filled the lake basin over the millennia has only come out by evaporation, releasing the salts that had dissolved from the ground over time.
Enna, October 2024. Giuseppe Amato (Legambiente Enna), ac- companies me to the middle of Lake Pergusa to see the rod measuring the water level, once almost submerged. /
La biodiversitaÌ€ del lago era estremamente ricca, con 358 specie di flora censite, tra cui diverse orchidee endemiche. L’area era anche un importante crocevia per le migrazioni degli uccelli provenienti dall’Africa e dall’Europa. Tuttavia, la siccitaÌ€ e la prosciugazione del lago hanno compromesso gravemente l’habitat di questi uccelli, mettendo a rischio la loro sopravvivenza.
La perdita di biodiversitaÌ€ nel Lago di Pergusa eÌ€ anche legata alla mancata gestione della zona da parte della Regione Siciliana. La Riserva naturale del lago di Pergusa, gestita dall’ex Provincia di Enna, ha ricevuto pochi fondi per la sua gestione e monitoraggio, il che ha portato a una situazione di crisi ambientale. Se non saranno intrapresi immediati interventi per pulire i canali che alimentano il lago, la biodiversitaÌ€ del sito potrebbe essere irreparabilmente compromessa.
The biodiversity of the lake was extremely rich, with 358 species of flora recorded, including several endemic orchids. The area was also an important crossroads for migrating birds from Africa and Europe. However, drought and the drying up of the lake have severely compromised the habitat of these birds, putting their survival at risk.
The loss of biodiversity in Lake Pergu- sa is also linked to the Sicilian Region's failure to manage the area. The Pergusa Lake Nature Reserve, managed by the former Province of Enna, has received little funding for its management and monitoring, which has led to an environmental crisis situation. If immediate action is not taken to clean the channels that feed the lake, the biodiversity of the site could be irreparably compromised.
Enna, October 2024. A couple of boys observe the different species of fauna and flora that could be observed at Lake Pergusa, which are unfortunately no longer present today. /
La rete idrica civile in Sicilia eÌ€ stata spesso oggetto di critiche per la sua vecchiaia e inefficienza. Secondo alcuni dati, la perdita di acqua nella rete idrica siciliana eÌ€ stimata intorno al 50%, con conseguenti problemi di approvvigionamento idrico per le utenze civili e agricole. La rete idrica eÌ€ stata definita “colabrodo” dal presidente della Regione Siciliana, Nello Musumeci, che ha convocato un tavolo tecnico per affrontare la situazione.
La Coldiretti Sicilia ha sottolineato che il problema eÌ€ strutturale e che la rete idrica eÌ€ in condizioni disastrose, con l’acqua che arriva quasi per miracolo nei campi agricoli. La situazione idrica in Sicilia eÌ€ stata definita “disperata” da alcuni organismi, con previsioni di riduzione delle riserve idriche entro i prossimi nove mesi se non piove. L’AutoritaÌ€ di bacino ha imposto il divieto di utilizzo dell’acqua potabile per innaffiare piante e giardini fino al 31 dicembre 2024.
The civil water network in Sicily has often been criticised for its old age and inefficiency. According to some data, the loss of water in the Sicilian water network is estimated at around 50%, resulting in water supply problems for civil and agricultural users. The water network has been called a ‘sieve’ by the President of the Sicilian Region, Nello Musumeci, who has convened a technical round table to address the situation.
Coldiretti Sicilia stressed that the problem is structural and that the water network is in a disastrous condition, with water arriving almost by miracle in agricultural fields. The water situation in Sicily has been described as ‘critical’ by some organisations, with forecasts of reduced water reserves within the next nine months if there is no rain. The Basin Authority has imposed a ban on the use of drinking water for watering plants and gardens until 31 December 2024.
Centuripe (En), April 2024. A section of the water pipeline that from the Àncipa dam serves some towns in the Catania plain. /
Enna, October 2024. A family makes do with water reserves for daily household chores. In this municipality the water service is rationed, citizens have access to water in shifts of 7/8 days. /
Enna, October 2024. Provincial road 28, the so-called Panoramica, was one of the biggest arteries leading to Enna, it has been closed for more than 20 years due to a collapse and never opened again. The neglect of infrastructures and poor maintenance are one of the main reasons why Sicily finds itself increasingly unprepared to cope with climatic events such as these.
Enna, c.a. 90s. Provincial road 28, the so-called Panoramica, was one of the biggest arteries leading to Enna, it has been closed for more than 20 years due to a collapse and never opened again.
Enna, October 2024. Provincial road 28, the so-called Panoramica, was one of the biggest arteries leading to Enna, it has been closed for more than 20 years due to a collapse and never opened again. The neglect of infrastructures and poor maintenance are one of the main reasons why Sicily finds itself increasingly unprepared to cope with climatic events such as these.
Sono 140 i comuni siciliani che da aprile hanno dovuto affrontare il razionamento dell’acqua. Le autobotti sembrano essere la risorsa piuÌ€ immediata per la crisi, men-tre i dissalatori, che potrebbero dare conti-nuitaÌ€ del servizio anche in assenza di piogge sono considerate una soluzione troppo cara, in quanto attività energivore. In ogni caso perché tornino in funzione quelli giaÌ€ esistenti ci vorrebbero tra i 12 e i 18 mesi, in quanto sono stati totalmente abbandonati, e dovrebbero essere rifatti da zero.
140 Sicilian municipalities have been facing water rationing since April. Tanker trucks seem to be the most immediate resource for the crisis, while desalination plants, which could provide continuity of service even in the absence of rain, are considered an overpriced solution, as they are energy-intensive activities. In any case, it would take between 12 and 18 months for the existing ones to come back into operation, as they have been totally abandoned and would have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Enna, October 2024. Rita, rita, a housewife, returns to an old public city washhouse, remembering when her mother, in the 1940s and during the Second World War, also went to wash clothes there.
Enna, October 2024. A man fills his bins with the water he needs until the next water supply day.
Gli interventi piuÌ€ a lunga scadenza, invece, come la sistemazione della rete idrica, registrano ritardi e, in alcuni casi, hanno portato anche a perdere finanzia-menti. Succede ad Agrigento dove i fondi per sistemare la rete idrica sono andati persi: Erano previsti 49 milioni di euro disponibili per rifare l’intera rete idrica, ma sono stati persi perché non si è presentato il bando per tempo.
Longer-term interventions, on the other hand, such as the repair of the water network, are delayed and, in some cases, have even led to the loss of funding. This is the case in Agrigento, where the funds to fix the water network have been lost: 49 million euro were available to redo the entire water network, but were lost because the call for tenders was not presented in time.
Barrafranca (En), April 2024. A plumber from the Enna Land Reclamation Consortium repairs the pipeline that serves the city, due to its age the Sicilian water network is frequently affected by breakages.
Barrafranca (En), April 2024. The plumbers of the Land Reclamation Consortium inspect the pump room that supplies drinking water to the citizens of the town after a fault was reported. /
Tra le provincie di Enna, Caltanissetta e Agrigento l’acqua viene distribuita circa una volta a settimana, durante la notte, e l’acqua deve essere raccolta nelle cisterne sui tetti o interrate, per poter soddisfare le esigenze di ogni famiglia o di ogni esercizio commerciale.
Ad Enna, nell'immediato, sono state disposte due autobotti del servizio antincendio del Corpo Forestale per rifornire alcuni cittadini in caso di emergenza. Le autobotti in servizio sono due e forniscono circa 16.000 litri di acqua al giorno.
Between the provinces of Enna, Caltanissetta and Agrigento, water is distributed approximately once a week, during the night, and the water must be collected in cisterns on the roofs or underground, in order to satisfy the needs of each family or each commercial establishment.
In Enna, two tanker trucks of the fire-fighting service of the Corps of Foresters were immediately deployed to supply some citizens in case of emergency. There are two tanker trucks in service and they supply about 16,000 litres of water per day.
Enna, October 2024. A tanker from the Forestry Corps fire service supplies some citizens in an emergency. There are two tankers in service and they provide approximately 16,000 liters of water per day, at two distribution points in the city. /
A bottle with water collected from the tap, the water comes from the Ancipa dam, but now the level is so low that the pumps, in addition to water, are also starting to draw mud). /
Il 70% del territorio siciliano eÌ€ a rischio di desertificazione. La provincia di Enna è una delle regioni italiane piuÌ€ colpite dal cambiamento climatico con ampie aree dell’entroterra che mostrano evidenti segni di ariditaÌ€ e degrado del suolo, comuni ai tratti tipici delle zone desertiche delle regioni sahariane, come ad esempio le escursioni climatiche estreme tra il giorno e la notte.
Troina (En), ottobre 2024. Ancipa Dam, because the water level is too low, a floating pump sucks water from the surface of the stretch of water to avoid also sucking up the mud. /
70% of the Sicilian territory is at risk of desertification. The province of Enna is one of the Italian regions most affected by climate change, with large areas of the hinterland showing clear signs of aridity and soil degradation, common to the typical traits of desert areas in Saharan regions, such as extreme climatic variations between day and night.
Centuripe, October 2024. Aerial view of the most desert region of the Ennese hinterland, totally uninhabited, here the temperature variations are already similar to those of the Sahara. /
La siccitaÌ€ si eÌ€ aggravata nelle ultime setti- mane a causa della riduzione delle risorse idriche negli invasi e della conseguente indisponibilitaÌ€ di acqua per l’irrigazione. Secondo alcune stime, la perdita della produzione agricola nel 2024 potrebbe essere compresa tra il 50% e il 75%.
Per fronteggiare i danni, il Governo ha pronto un Piano Idrico da 1,6 miliardi di euro e ha chiesto a Bruxelles di poter pagare l’anticipo della Pac da metaÌ€ ottobre. Inoltre, la Regione Siciliana ha stanziato 20 milioni di euro per erogare un bonus fieno agli allevatori colpiti dalla siccitaÌ€.
Gli agricoltori siciliani stanno richie- dendo aiuti urgenti per salvare i raccolti, lamentando che è la burocrazia a frenare gli aiuti. La siccitaÌ€ ha colpito profonda-mente l’agricoltura in Sicilia, con danni stimati attorno ai 2 miliardi di euro.
The drought has worsened in recent weeks due to reduced water resources in reservoirs and the resulting unavailability of water for irrigation. According to some estimates, the loss of agricultural production in 2024 could be between 50% and 75%.
To cope with the damage, the government has prepared a EUR 1.6 billion water plan and has asked Brussels to be able to pay the Pac advance from mid-October. In addition, the Sicilian Region has allocated EUR 20 million to provide a hay bonus to farmers affected by the drought.
Sicilian farmers are calling for urgent aid to save their harvests, complaining that bureaucracy is holding back aid. The drought has deeply affected agriculture in Sicily, with damage estimated at around EUR 2 billion.
Enna, October 2024. Fabio uses a solar camping shower to take a shower. /
Enna, October 2024. Some citizens organize themselves as they can to stock up on water, in this part of the city water is supplied only once a week, not everyone can afford to install a tank at home.
Enna, October 2024. fabio wait until the water has the right pressure to brush his teeth, often the pressure of running water is not sufficient to reach the highest floors of apartment blocks./
L’emergenza idrica viene da lontano e la causa maggiore, oltre alla siccitaÌ€ eÌ€ stata una cattiva gestione dell’acqua da parte degli organi competenti che gestiscono il servizio idrico. A questo si aggiunge la costante infiltrazione mafiosa negli appalti per la realizzazione di opere pubbliche che produce spesso il blocco della realizza-zione delle stesse.
Centuripe (En), April 2024. A section of the water pipeline that from the Àncipa dam serves some towns in the Catania plain. /
The water emergency comes from afar and the main cause, in addition to the drought, was poor water management by the competent bodies that manage the water service. Added to this is the constant mafia infiltration in contracts for the construction of public works that often produces the blocking of the construction of the same.
Cerami (En), October 2024. The roofs of the cities are increasingly populated by cisterns and tanks. /
Sferro, October 2024. Two farmers examine the state of the water collection tank, now almost completely dry. Behind them extends the recen- tly uprooted field of now dry fruit trees, still visible at the edge of the tank. /
Assoro (En), October 2024. Carmelo Consentino tends his olive grove with special pruning to overcome the dry spell./
Agira (En), October 2024, a herd of cows graze on an arid field, the only source of water are the tanks that the farmers fill daily. /
Sferro (Ct), October 2024. A citrus grove that is completely dry, due to drought and rising temperatures, this type of crop is increasingly facing a premature death. (side: a farmer shows me a tarocco orange, typical of the Catania plain, still green and undersized, which in this period should be orange and at least three times as big. This crop is now totally compromised). /
Leonforte (En), October 2024. A local man takes me to see an abandoned fountain, once active, where the entire city could get water. /
In ultimo l’avere incrociato questo nuovo periodo di cambiamenti climatici, carat- terizzato da eventi estremi e alte temperature che sballano il normale ciclo delle stagioni, non ha aiutato. Le piogge, sempre piuÌ€ violente e consistenti, ven-gono scaricate quasi di colpo e in questo modo il suolo non riesce a trattenere l’acqua nella falda, inoltre costituiscono un danno per l’agricoltura danneggiandone i raccolti e le colture.
Last but not least, this new period of climate change, characterised by extreme events and high temperatures that disrupt the normal cycle of the seasons, has not helped. The increasingly violent and consistent rainfall is discharged almost suddenly, which means that the soil cannot retain the water in the water table, and it is also detrimental to agriculture, damaging harvests and crops.
Into the clip: Blufi (Pa), Porto Empedocle (Ag), Dittaino (En), Assoro (En). The Porto Empedocle desalinator was inaugurated in 2007, and was closed in 2009 due to high operating costs. The total cost of the Porto Empedocle desalinator was 5,250 million euro. All in all, we spent 2,625 million for 3 million cubic metres of water per year. In Sicily one m/c of water cost an average of 0.875 euro, in Emilia Romagna one m/c of water costs 0.006 euro (6 cents). The Sicilian water network infrastructure is largely too old or abandoned for years to be still functional.
IN DEEP
WATER
INSIDE THE SICILIAN
WATER CRISIS
a reportage by
Angelo
Scelfo
Sferro (En), October 2024. Santi Distefano, farmer and representative of Confagricoltura, observes his parched field, it had been sown with protein pea plants for organic cultivation, but due to the water crisis he was unable to water it. /