Water Wise EU - Italy

Italy experienced 3192 extreme weather events in 2022 – including excessive rainfall and heatwaves – which is a stark increase from previous years.

For example, in May 2023, the Emilia Romagna region suffered severe rainfall, causing the Po River to rise by 1.5 metres in 24 hours and smaller rivers to overflow their banks. This meant that the region was unable to absorb additional water without spilling it onto floodplains. As a result, when a storm hit days later, Italy faced widespread flash and river flooding, as well as hundreds of landslides across the Emilia Romagna region, and parts of Marche and Tuscany.

These developments highlight the need to take steps to boost the country’s resilience to be able to combat future droughts and floods. These are likely to become more frequent and intense due to climate change.  

Italy also consumes a high amount of water, 25% above the EU average. As a result, water conservation is a growing concern, particularly in agriculture.

Failing infrastructure and leaky pipes are also an issue. Around a quarter of the country’s networks are over 50 years old and the ageing system leads to disproportionately high amounts of drinking water being lost.