2026-07-06
Veneto has declared a regional water emergency as a deepening drought strains one of Italy’s most important wine regions and pushes growers to rely more heavily on sensors, drones and data-driven irrigation.
The emergency order was signed on July 2 by the regional governor, Alberto Stefani, after hydrological conditions worsened across the region and concerns grew over saltwater intrusion, especially in the Po River district. According to figures cited in the order, Veneto is missing 2.4 billion cubic meters of water compared with 2025, despite recent storms in northern Italy that brought some rain but did not close the gap.
Data provided by Anbi, the national association of land reclamation and irrigation consortia, show that rainfall in Veneto has been significantly below normal since March, down 21%. Conditions worsened in April and remained below average in May. By May 31, the hydrological year showed a 28% deficit from the previous year. Snow reserves were also depleted early because of high temperatures recorded between April and May.
River flows are also running well below historical averages. The Piave, Brenta and Po rivers are each down 23%, while the Adige is down 21%, according to the regional order. Officials have also been watching water levels at Lake Garda.
As the governor urged mayors and businesses to use water more sparingly and avoid waste, farmers across northern Italy have been preparing for tighter supplies in July and August. In Veneto, that pressure is falling heavily on viticulture, a pillar of the regional economy and a major source of sparkling wine production, including Prosecco from the UNESCO-listed hills around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
For wine producers, the drought is becoming more than an environmental problem. It is starting to shape vineyard costs, irrigation choices and potentially grape quality in a region that matters to Italy’s broader beverage industry. Real-time monitoring and precision watering may help limit losses, but they also require new investment at a time when climate stress is changing long-standing farming practices.
Until recently, irrigation in many vineyards in the area was generally allowed only as an emergency measure. Now, with hotter temperatures and more frequent dry spells, more growers are asking for those restrictions to be reconsidered during severe shortages.
Across Italy, about 225,000 hectares of vineyards are irrigated, according to Istat. Of those, 21.5% use micro-irrigation or drip systems, compared with 38% using sprinkler irrigation and 40.5% using surface flow, lateral infiltration or flooding methods. In Veneto, growers are increasingly turning to techniques that use less water and target it more precisely.
That shift is being supported by digital tools now spreading through vineyard rows. Weather stations track temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind. Soil sensors measure moisture down to about 70 centimeters. Electronic leaf devices and other field instruments feed information into platforms that combine agronomic and climate data in real time. The goal is to give growers detailed maps of vineyard conditions so they can decide where and when to intervene.
Drones have become one of the most visible parts of that system. Flying over vineyards with thermal cameras, they can identify areas where vines are under water stress, often before symptoms can be seen by eye. Satellite images are also being used to support decisions in the field and even help define the best moment for harvest.
Leonardo Moretti Polegato, a producer in Crocetta del Montello in Treviso province, told la Repubblica that he began adopting these tools a couple of years ago as climate effects became harder to ignore. He said growers had realized they needed to pair traditional knowledge with digital tools and artificial intelligence capable of interpreting large amounts of information. That approach, he said, allows interventions only where needed, at the right time and with the right intensity, helping improve grape quality while reducing environmental impact.
Researchers say this kind of adaptation is likely to become more common well beyond Veneto. Luigi Tarricone, a researcher at Crea who specializes in viticulture, water management and agronomic strategies linked to climate pressures on wine production, has argued that irrigation will become increasingly important in future vineyard plantings from Abruzzo to Veneto. If current climate trends continue, he has said, areas where irrigation was once uncommon may have little choice but to adopt it.
The changes mark a sharp break for a region where water scarcity was not long ago considered a marginal concern. Now drought is rewriting vineyard management rules in one of Europe’s best-known wine landscapes, forcing producers to balance water savings with the need to protect yields and fruit quality during another hot summer.