Italy's largest river experiencing drought

 

Large swathes of Europe are experiencing droughts and water shortages. One region is experiencing its worst drought for 70 years. The area, in northern Italy, has had hardly any rainfall in the past four months. This year's snowfall was 70 per cent lower. This has caused the River Po, Italy's largest, to be three metres lower than average. A lot of the riverbed has dried up and people can walk across the mud. In one part, the declining water level has fully exposed a World War II shipwreck. Authorities are concerned that if it doesn't rain soon, there'll be a serious water shortage. This means water will be rationed for drinking. Farmers will also have problems finding water to irrigate their crops.

A spokesperson from Italy's Po Basin Authority said the water shortages are unprecedented. The river gets much of its water from Lake Maggiore in the Italian Alps. The lake is seeing its lowest water level since 1946. Problems are being exacerbated by higher-than-average temperatures and a mini heat wave. A farmer from the tiny rural town of Guastalla, 150 km southeast of Milan, said she is expecting a "disastrous year". She said: "With such high temperatures and with no rain…the situation is catastrophic." She added: "We believe that there will be a drop in wheat productivity by at least 20 per cent due to the lack of rain." The Po Valley will see a 30 to 40% reduction in fruit and vegetable production.

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	swathes	a.	Becoming smaller, fewer, or less; decreasing.
2.	drought	b.	Made something visible by uncovering it.
3.	riverbed	c.	A wide strip or area of something, usually land.
4.	declining	d.	Supply water to land or crops.
5.	exposed	e.	A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.
6.	authorities	f.	The bottom of the channel a waterway flows along.
7.	irrigate	g.	The people or organization having political or administrative power and control.

    Paragraph 2

8.	unprecedented	h.	The action or fact of making something smaller or less in amount, degree, or size.
9.	exacerbated	i.	Never done or known before.
10.	heat wave	j.	Made a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse.
11.	rural	k.	Involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering.
12.	catastrophic	l.	Relating to, or characteristic of the countryside rather than the town.
13.	drop	m.	A prolonged period of abnormally hot weather.
14.	reduction	n.	Make or become lower.

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. experiencing
2. hardly
3. exposed
4. rationed
5. irrigate
6. unprecedented
7. exacerbated
8. rural
9. catastrophic
10. lack

1. shortage
2. water
3. made worse
4. barely
5. countryside
6. revealed
7. undergoing
8. disastrous
9. limited
10. unparallelled

 Role play

Role  A – Droughts You think droughts are the worst natural disasters. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their disasters aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least damaging of these (and why):

Role  B – Blizzards You think blizzards are the worst natural disasters. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their disasters aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least damaging of these (and why):

Role  C – Earthquakes You think earthquakes are the worst natural disasters. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their disasters aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least damaging of these (and why):

Role  D – Volcanoes You think volcanoes are the worst natural disasters. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their disasters aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least damaging of these (and why):  OR Typhoons Floods Heat waves Tornadoes

Discussion - Italy Drought

1. Have you ever experienced water shortages?
2. What's the best way to deal with a drought?
3. What strange weather have you experienced?
4. What is causing these extreme weather events?
5. What would you do if water was rationed?
6. How difficult is it to be a farmer?
7. How can we help farmers to irrigate their crops?

11. How would you feel if rivers near you dried up?
12. What's the best way to deal with a heat wave?
13. Have weather events changed the prices of things?
14. What will the weather be like in 50 years from now?
15. What will you do if food prices rise a lot?
16. What three words best describe this story?
17. What questions would you like to ask the farmers?

Role play

Role  A – Food You think Food is the best thing about Italy.Discuss.

Role  B – Art You think Art is the best thing about Italy.Discuss.

Role  C – People You think Italian people are the best thing about Italy.Discuss.

Role  D –  Landscape You think its Landscape is the best thing about Italy.Discuss. Role E - Cars You think Cars are the best thing about Italy.Discuss. Role F- History You think its History is the best thing about Italy.Discuss. Role G - Sophia Loren. You think Sophia Loren is the best thing about Italy. Discuss.

Spelling

Paragraph 1

1. Large twaeshs of Europe
2. experiencing its worst tughodr for 70 years
3. exposed a World War II krpsheiwc
4. there'll be a serious water grhaoest
5. water will be eindrtoa for drinking
6. finding water to etrarigi their crops

Paragraph 2

7. Problems are being tebdxacerae
8. A farmer from the tiny arurl town
9. she is expecting a odtisssaur year
10. the situation is acpothrtisac
11. a drop in wheat iytvudtpoirc
12. a 30 to 40% idecrtoun