Climate Change is Shrinking Italy’s Lake Como
Many major landmarks are now visibly facing the consequences of climate change. Because there is no water from rainfall, ice, or melted snow, water levels in Lake Como are now lower than ever recorded before.
Lake Como, Italy. Harshil Shah. CC BY-ND 2.0.
Lake Como is an extremely popular destination for travelers due to its natural beauty and stunning landscape. However, climate change is threatening its future and hurting the local economy.
The water level in Lake Como is unprecedentedly low due to lack of rainfall and melted ice or snow. There is even a gap of more than three feet between the old waterline and where the water currently sits.
Lake Como has an area of 56 square miles, which means that this low water level is due to the loss of 4.6 billion gallons of water. According to local geologists, the rapidly-shrinking Fellaria glacier is the largest contributing factor to the decreased water levels.
Climate change has greatly affected the glacier, as not much of it remains. Since the late 1800s, the Fellaria glacier has lost two-thirds of its total mass, which translates into an average of more than 20 feet per year.
The lake’s lack of water is enough to cause dangerous erosion and even rockslides. When water recedes, the base of the mountain starts to collapse because the water along the shore can no longer help the rocks stay in place.
Varenna, Lake Como, Italy. Harshil Shah. CC BY-ND 2.0.
Yet another detrimental effect of climate change is that the lack of water in the lake has begun to kill off fish. Many locals rely on fishing for their livelihoods, and they say that the fish level is already 50 percent less than it was 10 years ago.
As one of Europe’s deepest lakes at 1,345 feet deep, Lake Como is not in danger of drying up anytime soon. However, losing its most consistent water source—the Fellaria glacier—will place new pressure on those who rely on the lake. This will have widespread effects, from affecting hydropower reservoirs located upstream to irrigated farms located downstream.Roads and walls that border the lake are also at risk of fracturing or collapsing due to low water levels.
GET INVOLVED
Nonprofits like the Environmental Defense Fund are dedicated to solving environmental challenges from many different angles with the help of scientists and experts. They offer opportunities to make donations, take action, sign petitions and even ways for companies to get involved. Anything helps.
Another nonprofit is Conservation International, which works to protect the land and sea in over 70 countries. They combine fieldwork with innovations in science, policy and finance to secure the benefits that nature provides us with. Conservation International encourages people to donate, fundraise, or become a member.
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Isabelle is an undergraduate student at Boston University currently on campus in Boston. She is double majoring in Journalism and Film & Television, and she is interested in being a travel writer and writing human-interest stories around the world. Isabelle loves to explore and experience new cultures, and she hopes to share other people's stories through her writing. In the future, she intends to keep writing journalistic articles as well as creative screenplays.