Italy's River Po drought. Italy declares state of emergency in five regions over drought

 

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Italy has declared a state of emergency  over a worsening #drought  that has plagued five northern regions in recent weeks, Prime Minister Mario Draghi ’s office has announced.

The cabinet approved a state of emergency in Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto until December 31, the government said in a statement on Monday, and allocated a 36.5 million euro ($39.5m) fund to help those affected.

 Italy is facing an unusually early heatwave  and a lack of rainfall , particularly in the northern agricultural Po valley, which has been hit by its worst drought in decades.

The state of emergency provides “extraordinary means and powers” to help guarantee public safety, compensation for losses while seeking to guarantee normal living conditions for those in the area.