Saltwater creeps inland as Po River runs dry

The Po River's flow has dropped sharply during the European heatwave, permitting saltwater intrusion to reach up to 18 kilometres inland from its mouth—far beyond the normal reach of the tidal salt wedge. According to Devdiscourse, which cited ongoing climate data, the river's reduced discharge has left agricultural land and protected wetlands in the Po Delta vulnerable to salinisation. The phenomenon compounds a crisis that began in late June, when the heatwave first stressed the region's water systems.

The Po Delta, which spans across Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, sits at the intersection of agricultural production and nature conservation. The delta supplies irrigation water to some of northern Italy's most productive farmland and is home to wetlands of international importance. Saltwater contamination of the soil and freshwater aquifers can render land unsuitable for crops for years, threatening both the region's export-dependent farm economy and the habitats protected under European Union directives.