Pollution and George Clooney fingered as culprits - Climate change, pollution, drought and even Hollywood are threatening Italy's lakes, a new report has warned. The annual dossier by the heritage association Italia Nostra, which looks at the health of the nation's lakes, claims there is serious cause for alarm.
In particular, it singles out Lake Garda, north of Verona, and Lake Como near the Swiss border. Garda, Italy's largest lake, is under attack from several connect sources, according to the report.
Pollution, aggravated by a booming tourist industry, is the most immediate cause of concern. The situation deteriorated so much this summer that local authorities barred swimming in several parts of the lake. The next major issue is climate change, which is contributing to falling water levels as a result of soaring temperatures, the report says. This is not only upsetting the lake's delicate ecosystem. It is also increasing the concentration of pollutants in the water. Turning to Lake Como, Italia Nostra suggests the allure of Hollywood is partly to blame for problems in recent years. Since heartthrob George Clooney bought a lakeside villa in the area a few years ago, there has been an upsurge of interest in local properties resulting in a rash of new construction projects. 'The Clooney Effect', as the association has dubbed the problem, is damaging the lake's ecosystem as well as the natural environment around the lake. The National Research Institute (CNR) has also expressed concerns about some of Italy's lakes but believes there is cause for hope at a wider level.
Gianni Tartari of the CNR's water research institute agreed that tourism was a major issue for Lake Garda, which is struggling to absorb the impact of around ten million visitors a year. Lake Iseo, not far west of Garda, is also facing acute difficulties, the result of poor drainage and industrial and agricultural run-off.
Yet overall, the situation is not as bleak as Italia Nostra suggests, Tartari said, describing the state of the nation's 100 natural and 200 artificial lakes as generally positive. Tartari said the quality of natural lakes would rate ''somewhere between sufficient and good'', while the artificial lakes would generally score a ''good''. ''Compared to two decades ago, the situation has improved radically,'' said Tartari.
''This is mainly thanks to the introduction of a law 20 years ago that banned phosphorus in domestic detergents''. Phosphorous is a key factor in eutrophication, a process involving excessive plant growth that eventually results in lack of oxygen and severe damage to water quality and ecosystems.
The ban had produced particularly impressive results in Maggiore, Como and Lugano, commented Tartari, which were now all reaping the benefits of 20 years of 'detox'. Photo: the Val di Fanes lake near Cortina d'Ampezzo.
