CIPG_20240712_NYT-Drought_A7IV-1132.jpg
LEONFORTE (SICILY), ITALY - 12 JULY 2024: Lorenzo Iraci Sareri (53), a farmer, checks an almost empty drinking trough for his cows, before refilling it with the water given to him by a fellow farmer, in Leonforte (Sicily), Italy, on July 12th 2024.
Weeks ago, Mr Iraci Sareri watched on as his cows silently walked onto a truck headed to the slaughterhouse: after months of drought, he didn’t have any water or food for them.
Mr. Iraci Sareri wakes up at 5 a.m. and returns home after 10 p.m., as at night he drives up a mountain for three hours with a tractor and a cistern to harness water from a small source.
Farmers in Southern Italy, Greece, and Spain are struggling with one of the worst droughts in decades. The lack of water and high temperatures have devastated crops and forced farmers to slaughter animals. The government is prioritizing water for tourism over agriculture, causing tensions in the affected regions. Experts warn that climate change is exacerbating the drought, and urgent action is needed to prevent desertification. Despite promises of funding from the government, farmers and residents are skeptical that solutions will be implemented in time to save agriculture lands from becoming deserts.
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