The region around the southern Sicilian town of Niscemi has declared a state of emergency following Monday's landslide. More than 1,000 people have already been evacuated. "The situation is extremely critical," says Massimiliano Conti, mayor of Niscemi, a town with more than 27,000 inhabitants. "The situation is worsening as further landslides have been reported." In addition, heavy rain is expected again in the coming days.
The natural disaster is also affecting Italians abroad, including Lino Manduca. The fruit merchant from Ebingen (Baden-Württemberg) grew up in the Niscemi region and maintains close ties with relatives and producers in the area. "Many have lost their homes and are now being housed in sports halls or with relatives." Natural disasters of this magnitude are rare on this side of the southern Italian island, although a catastrophe had been looming for several years, Manduca continues. "This region has been densely built up for centuries, and at the same time, it has been very dry for many years in a row. This year, however, there was suddenly a lot of rain, which saturated the soil. The rapidly rising water level led to this disaster. The local authorities should have intervened much earlier and, for example, planted trees to promote soil diversity."
© Carciofo Violetto Di Niscemi
Artichoke cultivation in the Niscemi region
A bitter setback for local producers
It could remain very wet until mid-April, so further landslides in the affected area cannot be ruled out, according to Manduca. This is a bitter setback for local agriculture. "Most producers, including artichoke and greenhouse farms, are located on the other side of the city. Nevertheless, the infrastructure in particular is suffering from the force of nature, as two of the three most important transport routes are already closed. If the last connecting road were to be closed now, it would be disastrous for the entire region."
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