08/27/2024

As Drought Intensifies, Water Profiteers Thrive in Sicily

Some residents have been without water for two months

A drought on the Italian island of Sicily has become so severe that many residents of the city of Caltanissetta have been without running water for two months, leading to handsome profits for unauthorised private sellers.

In a situation more readily associated with a developing country than an advanced European economy, thousands of Sicilians are getting their water from individuals and groups who distribute it from self-operated tanker trucks at inflated prices.

After four years of rainfall well below the historical average, the Italian government declared a state of emergency in May to try to better manage resources until the autumn rainy season, but since then things have only got worse.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Reuters.