Drought in Veneto and Lombardy: the generosity of lake garda as a possible solution

10 July 2026

In Lombardy, the water deficit is estimated at 36%, weighing heavily especially on agriculture and leading the Lombardy Region to confirm containment measures for irrigation. In the Po district, the level of water severity remains medium, following the heatwave and thunderstorms that did not compensate for the lack of resources. In Veneto too, the numbers speak clearly. The decision of the regional president Stefani to declare a state of emergency as of July 2, 2026, was made in the face of low rainfall, particularly starting from March (-21%): a figure that worsened in April and remained below the historical average in May. As of May 31, 2.4 billion cubic meters of water were missing (-28% of the entire hydrological year). Rainfalls in recent days have only partially improved the flow of the Po and Adige rivers.

The difficulty also affects the Lombard lakes, which were called upon in recent weeks to support rivers to guarantee water for fields. The reported filling levels are 48% for Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, 43% for Lake Iseo, 18% for Lake Idro, and 65% for Lake Garda. Only Lake Garda maintains a hydrometric height in line with the average. Should the situation worsen as in 2022, it will be thanks to the generosity of Lake Garda that the Po Valley basins will be able to see their minimum survival level guaranteed