A severe drought in Sicily has almost dried up the only lake on the Mediterranean island that serves as a resting place for birds migrating between Africa and Europe, Reuters reported, citing from BTA.
Rainfall in Sicily has been below normal for months, with the government declaring a state of emergency due to the crisis, which has devastated crops and pastures.
Lake Perguza is in a nature reserve near the town of Enna. It shrunk dramatically due to a combination of heat and little rain.
"The lake no longer exists. The water that was visible has completely disappeared, except for this puddle," said Giuseppe Maria Amato of the conservation group Legambiente.
Sicily has long struggled with high temperatures linked to climate change, setting a European heat record of 48.8 degrees Celsius in 2021 and forcing water curfews in a number of cities.
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Droughts have recently affected other parts of Europe, including France and Spain, and are particularly felt in the Mediterranean region. There, the average temperature is now 1.5 degrees higher than 150 years ago.
"Lake Pergusa is an indicator of what Sicily is experiencing due to climate change," Amato said, adding that a lack of maintenance and a poor sewage system are exacerbating the emergency.
Usually the surface of the lake is 1.8 sq km. There are no rivers flowing into or leaving it. It is mentioned in "Metamorphoses" of the Roman poet Ovid, where it is described as a place of beauty and "eternal spring". However, those times are long gone. Drought can permanently affect the biodiversity around the lake, which, in addition to migratory birds, harbors fish, molluscs and microinvertebrates.