A partially flooded rice field at Isola della Donzella. The fields are flooded for planting, dried to allow the seedlings to take root, and then flooded again until harvest, which usually takes place in October. Ph: Marco Boscolo

The road runs right under the embankment, which looms over the flat surrounding landscape like a small hill. Ca' Mora, Polesinello, Gnocca, Oca Marina: every few kilometres, we pass through villages with names that sound out of a slightly ironic fantasy novel. At Cassella, we leave the main road to reach a two-story building surrounded by cultivated fields: the headquarters of Società Agricola Moretto, a company specialising in rice production in the Po Delta. We are greeted by Elisa Moretto, who represents the third generation of her family to run the business. "We started in 1950 when my grandfather was allocated the first six hectares of land and the house that is still here, next door," she says as the office phone rings repeatedly. Orders to fill, guided tours to organise, small family matters to handle — Elisa is full of energy, and it's clear she pours much of it into keeping the business running smoothly.

The Società Agricola Moretto is located on the Isola della Donzella, an island of over 10,000 hectares in the municipality of Porto Tolle, in the province of Rovigo. A little more than a century ago, this land didn't even exist: the entire area from the Rovigo-Ferrara axis, including the Po Delta, all the way to the Adriatic, was a vast stretch of swamps, wetlands, and lagoons. The reclamation work made it possible to create new land for agriculture and assign it to actual settlers, like Elisa Moretto's grandfather. All thanks to the water pumps, which have been working tirelessly since then, and those imposing embankments: we are about 3 meters below sea level here. Today, the company owns 72 hectares, and since 1988, it has been growing rice, one of the area's specialities.

 

The water lift system pipes at Isola della Donzella with the Po della Donzella embankment in the background. Ph: Marco Boscolo

 

The paradox of the reclaimed areas is that there is no freshwater despite being initially wetland areas. This story is well explained in a podcast titled I fantasmi della bassa (The Ghosts of the Lowlands), which recounts the life of workers in the reclaimed areas of Ferrara between 1870 and 1922: the aqueduct only arrived after World War II and the essential resource for agriculture is the water from the Po River. But what happens when an intense drought like that of 2022 calls this into question? "There was no more freshwater," Elisa says, and you can still hear the concern from that time in her voice as if it left a mark.

When the Po River dried up due to the lack of rain, which we discussed in the previous Under the Surface article, salty water moved along the river's various branches, travelling several tens of kilometres. This phenomenon goes under the name saline wedge. We addressed it in an article on Il Bo Live in those months. It was a difficult situation, even for a crop like rice, which, as Elisa Moretto explains, "has a high tolerance for water salinity." The result was a drastic reduction in the harvest. "Consider that we usually produce 360 tons of rice yearly: that year, we only managed 9,2 tons, a quarter".

Alongside the immediate concerns over the reduced production in 2022, there were fears for the following year. If the salty water reaches the rice fields and evaporates, it leaves salt behind on the land, making the fields unusable for planting: salt "burns" the soil. For this reason, flooding the rice fields with freshwater was necessary not only to attempt planting but also to ensure that the land would be cultivable the following year. For this reason, Elisa and her family decided to invest in pumps that could still bring in some water. "We helped each other a bit among farmers," she tells us, "because there might be a little water in the valley farther away. So, with the pumps, we brought it into a basin, and from there, using pumps again, we managed to bring it to our fields." A virtuous sharing of a resource that, at that moment, was scarce and incredibly precious.

 

A deafening silence

The 2022 drought was undoubtedly an event that profoundly impacted this area. Elisa Moretto's experience and her company's efforts confirm what the ISPRA data we discussed in the previous Under the Surface episode also shows. In the past, extreme droughts and significant water shortages were rarer. In her grandfather and father's time, "they were short periods that we were able to manage," she says. The 2022 drought was long and severe. While her family mitigated the situation through immediate initiatives, the medium to long-term outlook differs, and fear returns to her voice. "Once you've been burned by hot water, you're afraid of cold water," she says, quoting a famous saying.

The truth is that addressing the issue of changes in water availability and regimes caused by climate change requires resources beyond what a single company can manage. "Even taking a rice field, digging it up, and turning it into a basin isn't something you can do as a single company." It's not just an issue of economic resources or bureaucratic hurdles, but "those above us should intervene," meaning those managing the entire territory, Moretto explains. They should implement a wide-ranging strategy "to protect the agricultural production of the Po Delta", And this, she bitterly concludes, "is a discussion that isn’t happening here". The feeling is that "once the emergency subsided, this type of conversation was shelved".

 

One of the irrigation canals running alongside the roads in the highly human-altered landscape of Isola della Donzella. Ph: Marco Boscolo

 

Most of the land under the Consorzio di Tutela del Riso del Delta del Po IGP, an organisation that groups about thirty companies and covers over 15,000 hectares in the provinces of Rovigo and Ferrara, is also below sea level. In this vast expanse of productive land, "I'm not aware that any interventions have been made to store water," says Adriano Zanella, president of the Consorzio. We managed to reach him by phone amidst his many commitments. In addition to his activities related to the Consorzio, he runs a rice farm in Jolanda di Savoia, a town founded in 1903 in the reclaimed Ferrara territories. When asked whether the new Special Commissioner has ever consulted the Consorzio for drought, his response is blunt: "No, we haven't been consulted, and no communication has come".

Zanella also highlights another important aspect of rice production. Even interventions aimed at creating water storage basins are not an ideal solution. "Water in the canals and basins heats up" he explains, "especially when there's little of it" due to drought. Using this warmer water to flood the rice fields "is counterproductive for rice yields" Zanella says, noting that rice plants yield better with colder, "more oxygenated water, which oxygenates the soil better".

 

Experimenting to safeguard water

Wasting fewer resources is a goal Zanella has set for his company. For a few years, he has been collaborating with Acqua Campus, the research and development centre established by the Consorzio del Canale Emiliano Romagnolo (CER), to study techniques and technologies to maximise the use of water drawn from the Po River. Here, it's worth stepping away from the Po Delta for a moment and tracing the river's course upstream to Bondeno, where the first section of the CER branches off to the south. Massive pumps draw and distribute the river water along 165 kilometres of the canal, mainly irrigating fields from Ferrara to Rimini and beyond.

The idea leading to the CER is ancient: it was already discussed in the 17th century. But it became a reality in the post-World War II era, coinciding with the final development of the reclaimed territories. The CER water primarily supplies Romagna, a region characterised by rivers with torrential regimes that often dry in summer, when the fields hold the most significant demand. "In recent years, we have surpassed 300 million cubic meters of water distributed to our members," explains Michele Marini, an engineer at CER. It is a significant increase, reflecting the water shortage of recent years "because ten years ago, we weren't reaching 200 million."

At the CER (Consorzio di Bonifica della Romagna Occidentale), they are naturally studying all possible methods to ensure this service for a territory that has, in the meantime, developed an agriculture with significant economic impact and critical water needs that must be met. The IRRINET project provides all farmers with a free daily information service, offering personalised advice on how much water to use to ensure the maximum yield of individual fields and crops. Initially made available to the members of Emilia-Romagna, the project has evolved into IRRIFRAME, which is now accessible to anyone, even in other areas.

Zanella also mentioned the research activity at the Acqua Campus. His company is one of those testing a system to automate the opening and closing of irrigation channel gates. So far, in most cases, these operations are conducted manually, with operators having to activate mechanisms directly on-site at the sluice. In the experimental version, this operation will be automated, remotely controlled, and regulated by sensors that assess, for example, the amount of water in a rice paddy and the weather conditions.

 

Detail of the water management locks on Isola della Donzella, set against the backdrop of a rice paddy. Ph: Marco Boscolo

 

 

A transformation in cultivation

The arrival of CER water after World War II profoundly shaped Romagna's agriculture. "But the availability of high-quality water like that provided by the CER," explains Domenico Solimando, Head of Agronomic Studies and Research at the Consortium and one of the leaders at Acqua Campus, "was also influenced by market reasons, such as the economic viability of certain crops over others." However, these crops "often, though not always, require more water and are therefore more water-intensive." The reduced availability of water due to decreased rainfall in recent years, Solimando points out, has mainly impacted the timing of distribution: long dry periods followed by concentrated rains. "I'm not talking about last year's floods, but there are extreme events: a lot of waterfalls but in a short period, so the environment can't absorb it."

We are witnessing another example of a profound change compared to the rhythm agriculture followed just a few decades ago. A change that, as Giulio Boccaletti discussed in the previous episode of Under the Surface, directly links the water crisis to the climate crisis we are experiencing. However, from the conversation with Michele Marini and Domenico Solimando, it becomes even more apparent that the issue is environmental and ecological. Still, it is primarily political: What kind of development is chosen for a territory? What measures are taken to protect those who live there? To this last question, for example, CER is responding with a project to lower the water intake point from the Po River, a technologically advanced initiative designed to ensure a constant water supply even in the future, should the river level drop. A technological response, therefore, does not address, nor can it, the upstream decisions made.

 

From agriculture to fishing

As Boccaletti indicated, the overall response to the problem must be political, not just techno-scientific. However, some activities could be safeguarded at least through proper maintenance of land and water resources, both underground and surface. Some don't use or extract groundwater — they don't even see it, in a sense — but their entire activity depends on the delicate balance between surface and underground waters. "We use water from the Po River delta and meet the seawater. Our problem is that we don't know if this water is clean or if there are any issues because there's no precise study on the water entering the sea from the Po," says Paolo Mancin, president of the Polesine Fishermen's Cooperative Consortium, a large organization bringing together 14 cooperatives, effectively employing over 1,500 people, half of whom are women, he notes.

 

The Scardovari lagoon and fishing equipment. Ph: Elisabetta Tola

 

We are in Porto Tolle, in the hamlet of Scardovari, in the Veneto region of the Po Delta Park, on the first floor of the large building that houses the consortium's headquarters. Entering by mistake through the back, we passed through the loading and unloading area where large refrigerated trucks that transport mussels and clams to the markets are parked. A hustle and bustle that doesn't immediately reveal the problematic period the consortium has been going through for the past year. Mancin, 60 years old and having spent his entire life in these areas, first as a farmer and then as a fisherman, speaks with a mix of despair and anger. "We are experiencing an incredible economic crisis, mainly due to the blue crab. But it's a crisis worsened by water-related problems: our waters are lagoon waters, transitional, at the intersection of the Po's freshwater and brackish water." And these waters, as he explains, are not always of good quality. In a consortium certified for organic products, both mussels and clams, water quality is a necessary condition for production. As a result, they have been requesting regular cleaning and maintenance of the canals for years. But without success. Mancin attributes part of the blame to the restrictions associated with the existence of the Po Delta Park. "Operating in a park involves restrictions that do not affect the local economy. But that's not the case. Our fishing is always on a tightrope, balanced between nature and production."

 

The Scardovari lagoon and fishing equipment. Ph: Elisabetta Tola

 

Mancin's account paints a picture of a situation always on the edge of a precarious balance. In this complex environment, the outcome is compromised if one of the elements fails to function perfectly. For example, the maintenance of the small levees in the delta areas is necessary to prevent excess freshwater from entering the lagoon, as happened in May of this year, causing a massive die-off of clams. Conversely, in 2022, during the severe drought, the lagoon had an excess of salinity, as we know and discussed in the first episode of this series — the return of the saline wedge from the sea into the river was quite substantial. "The drought was terrible; no water in the lagoon, which consequently kept getting saltier, compromising the production."

There are very few control measures and no defence. Still, if some phenomena result from the global climate crisis, others, Mancin emphasizes, stem from choices — or rather, inaction — at the local level in land management. Mancin opens Google Earth on his computer and takes us on a virtual tour of the Po Delta. "See that islet there? Right in front of the central branch of the Po, which we call the 'Busa dritta'," he points to a considerable and rather extended strip of land clearly visible in front of the central mouth. "Well, that's like a plug that shouldn't be there, and it didn't exist before. It's formed over the last 7–8 years." We confirm this by looking at images of the same point from more than ten years ago: it's pretty clear that the strip began forming and growing from 2013 onwards. "It's natural; the river does its job, carrying debris downstream and accumulating it. Today, that island has grown so large that even a tourist plane recently landed there, and a beach formed."

 

 

 

However, Mancin emphasizes that this situation is far from ordinary; that "plug" poses a danger. "Because it forces the river to work its way through the lateral branches, and in the end, there could be risks for those living in those areas." The mayors of the area have raised this issue to the Po River Basin Authority, but there has yet to be a response. At the same time, Mancin notes, as others we've interviewed have confirmed, there are currently no coordinated and concerted actions in terms of research, strategy, or intervention plans that have involved them. If the various authorities and institutions are proposing water management plans and other solutions to the real problems these communities face, they are unaware of them, nor have they been invited to contribute or provide input.

 

"We understand that the Delta environment is complicated; we get it. But what angers us is that there is no plan or action."

Paolo Mancin

 

What role does the Park play in all this? The relationship between productive activities, environmental protection, and conservation is always somewhat problematic. Establishing a park in a highly anthropized area, where various productive activities exist and are practised, is never entirely painless, and the interests of the different stakeholders don't always align. Many stories in our country demonstrate this, not only here in the Po Delta but in many other regions, where opposition to the creation of parks by some economic actors is fueled by fears — sometimes genuinely understandable — of being unable to operate if concrete problems arise.

How difficult it is to monitor the overall state of such a vast and diverse ecosystem as the Po's mouth is vividly illustrated by a comprehensive and structured research effort led by Luca Alberghi, head of the Museo Natura, owned by the Municipality of Ravenna, located in Sant'Alberto, Ravenna. We arrived there on a not-so-clear June morning. The museum is housed in a beautiful, large historic building with red brick walls and matching red curtains, very close to the river's embankment. As Alberghi immediately explains to us, we are a stone's throw from what is known as the Po di Primaro, the southernmost branch of the Delta, the bed where the Reno River flows today and where the Po's first branch used to flow northwards in ancient times.

Alberghi, an enthusiastic environmental engineer, shared with us a report, the result of a series of studies carried out in late 2023 by Cooperativa Atlantide, which manages the museum and where he works. The research, co-authored by Alberghi, a botanist and a cartographer, evaluates the quality and consistency of the ecosystem services in the Po estuary area north of Ravenna. This substantial work provides an overall assessment and economic quantification of the ecological value of the basins in this area, offering lawmakers and the Park director valuable tools for making decisions about ecosystem management. In a sense, it's precisely the kind of research that Mancin hoped would be conducted to determine which strategies are most effective, both environmentally and economically. However, even Alberghi admits that data are often missing when calculating figures. "In particular," he explains, "data from the past is missing, and not all data related to the present situation is available either. Generally, in studying large rivers involving many interconnected ecosystems, it's tough to create algorithms that can consider all the data and context."

Beyond such complex research, very tangible factors demonstrate the impact of the environment's health, in this case, the water, on the region's activities — even those most favoured by the Park's existence, namely, tourism. "For us, whether the water is present in the Reno River — whether there is drought or flooding — determines whether the ferry about a kilometre from here, which we use daily to transport tourists for excursions, can operate. Sometimes, we find out from one day to the next that the crossing isn't possible, and we have to reschedule everything." Of course, this isn't a substantial financial blow compared to the effects of drought or flooding on local productive activities and the community's life. However, it's still a challenge for a growing and increasingly popular sector which is becoming an essential part of the local economy.

Alberghi adds that the establishment of the Park, confirming what Mancin had already mentioned, sparked strong protests. It doesn't help that this is a remarkably complex Park, involving nine municipalities over a vast territory, including many diverse environments, from wetlands to pine forests, from ecological corridors along rivers to strictly coastal and maritime areas. There are cities, densely populated areas, uninhabited zones, industrial areas, and purely recreational areas like the Romagna coast. Most significantly, this is a park where human presence dates back thousands of years. The landscape has undergone significant transformations, such as land reclamation works, earning it UNESCO's MAB (Man and the Biosphere) designation. This label acknowledges the intertwining of natural and human dimensions, including urban and industrial aspects. Lastly, this is an interregional Park, spanning Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, with various leadership parties not always aligned politically. For now, the Park lacks a strong identity. However, the goal of its leadership is to make it as recognizable and appreciated as other extensive European wetlands, such as the Camargue, often cited as an example of a large wetland with a successful management model.

It remains undeniable that the Park's territory and activities, even when speaking of soft, non-mass tourism, are heavily influenced by water. In 2022, for example, due to the drought, "we completely shut down our activities because we couldn't cross the river," says Alberghi. "Many of our summer activities require crossing the ferry, so we had to change our plans, moving to other locations, taking our bicycles and binoculars, and everything necessary for birdwatching, and offering excursions in the shaded, more manageable Ravenna pine forests." Indeed, adds Alberghi, the area we're in has never experienced the worst effects of drought, compared to the area north of the river, where it was much more evident. Over the past decades, many reclamation and drainage projects have been carried out here, and several installations help maintain high water levels artificially. "Of course," he concludes, "visiting wetlands when excessive heat makes them evaporate negatively affects visitors' perception." However, even flooding has a significant impact on the museum's activities. In the spring of 2023, the museum was spared from the floods. Still, driven by fear and seeing what was happening in the nearby areas of Romagna, Alberghi and his collaborators worked frantically to move all the museum materials to the second floor in just a few hours. Most importantly, the museum's educational activities were completely shut down from mid-May to the end of June, representing a significant loss for the museum's budget.

 

Historical equipment at the Septem Maria Museum. Ph: Elisabetta Tola

 

A past of grand works and an uncertain future

From the windows, you can see the stretch of canal where the water is so still it seems like a still image. The air smells of history and antiquity in the large room, the turbines occupy. We are at the Septem Maria Museum, a small museum in the municipality of Adria in the province of Rovigo, housed in a pumping station built during the land reclamation years. On the walls are photos of men knee-deep in mud, digging canals to free the land from water and create new fields for cultivation. However, motors and early 20th-century technologies made the complete transformation of this territory possible. This effort saw technology, science, and public planning come together to build an idea of the future. Whether that future is still desirable today is irrelevant — it's too easy to judge with hindsight. Today, it seems like we are at a historical crossroads similar to the one over a hundred years ago. We have the knowledge and technical abilities to solve these problems: securing embankments and territories, carefully evaluating the quality and quantity of water in aquifers, improving farming techniques, and making choices regarding consumption and markets. However, to envision the future here in the Po Delta, as in many other places, the decisive and courageous contribution of politics is needed. So far, it's nowhere to be seen.

 

 


Credits

The investigative project Under the Surface was launched by Datadista and coordinated by Arena for Journalism in Europe, involving international collaboration with several media outlets across Europe. You can find all stories published in other countries at europeanwaters.eu. The European consortium also includes Zeynep Sentek, Jelena Prtorić, Sarah Pilz, Ine Renson, Maxie Eckert, Ana Tudela, Antonio Delgado, Raphaëlle Aubert, Myrto Boutsi, and Léa Sanchez.

This article is published in Italian on Il Bo Live.

This article, along with others in the Under the Surface series, is supported by a grant from Journalismfund Europe.

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