Effects of drought: speculate with water

The severe drought affecting the Italian island of Sicily has reached critical heights, leaving many residents of the town of Caltanissetta without running water for over two months. In a situation more reminiscent of the difficulties of developing countries than an advanced European economy, thousands of Sicilians are forced to buy water from unauthorized private distributors, who inflate prices to take advantage of the crisis. This water crisis is the result of four consecutive years of rainfall below the historical average, which prompted the Italian Government to declare a state of emergency in May. Although the measures were intended to better manage water resources until the arrival of the autumn rainy season, the situation has worsened significantly in the meantime. In dozens of towns in central Sicily, water is rationed and citizens are forced to rely on water delivered by tankers, which can cost families and businesses up to 300 euros a month. Alberto Micciche, a resident of the Poggio Fiorito neighborhood, describes how he has to call the cistern to fill his water tanks every 15-20 days. The cost of a load of 8,000 liters of water reached approximately 100 euros, double that of last year. "Just turning on the tap becomes expensive," Micciche said, citing the additional financial burden of pumping water from tanks to the house. In the rest of Caltanissetta, the authorities only manage to ensure a regular water supply for a few hours a week, depending on the neighborhood. Water supply problems are not new to Sicilians, many of whom have rooftop or basement tanks to cope with periods of scarcity. However, traditional solutions are becoming insufficient as droughts become more frequent and severe. Local businesses, including restaurants, are heavily affected by the water crisis, having to pay exorbitant prices for supplies. According to the law, water is considered a public good and cannot be sold by individuals, who should have private wells for personal use only. However, the rules are frequently circumvented and unauthorized tankers operate unsupervised, distributing water from uncontrolled and potentially unsafe sources for public health. Authorities in several Sicilian cities have imposed fines of thousands of euros for the unauthorized distribution and sale of contaminated water. Salvatore Cocina, director of Sicily's civil protection department, said the island was looking for new water sources and repairing abandoned wells. In exceptional cases, mayors may have to temporarily take control of private wells.