Italy expands seawater desalination to combat drought

A report published on the website of the newspaper QuiFinanza indicates that this new desalination plant will be the largest of its kind in Italy and after its completion, scheduled for 2026, will have the capacity to process 55,400 cubic meters of water per day, which is an amount. Equivalent to the needs of 385 thousand people.

Indeed, as noted, among the decisions taken at the last meeting of the Control Room on Water Emergencies, which was held at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, was “giving priority to seawater desalination projects,” as a tool for dealing with this serious problem.

In this sense, an expansion of this program at the national level is being considered, with initiatives already underway in the southern Sicilian island of Lipari, as well as in the northern region of Tuscany, while the installation of other desalination plants is being considered in Liguria. , Veneto and Friuli Venezia. Julia adds the source.

Francesco Vincenzi, president of the National Association of Irrigation Water Protection Associations (ANBI), recently warned that the drought in Italy in 2023 is more serious than the drought present at the same stage in 2022 and will get worse in the coming months, with severe economic damage.

“If last year’s drought cost the country’s system 13 billion, 2023 will be even worse pending the operational start-up of basic plans and actions to increase resilience to the climate crisis,” said Vincenzi.

Among the provisions of the so-called Drought Decree approved by the Italian Cabinet on April 6, in addition to the construction of water desalination plants, the development of hydraulic infrastructures, the increase in reservoir volumes, as well as the reuse of treated wastewater. for irrigation.

mem / orth