The Region of Sicily has requested a tanker from the Navy to supply water to the province of Agrigento and the area of Gela, which has been suffering from the effects of a severe drought since the beginning of this year. The ship can transport up to 1,200 cubic meters of water to be introduced into the water network and will remain available to the Region while moored in Augusta (on the Ionian coast, east). The use of a tanker, which has previously only been used to supply small islands, is one of the most recent attempts to alleviate the problems caused by a lack of rainfall. Waiting for an update, the most recent data released by the Sicilian agrometeorological service shows that the average rainfall in the last year until May was 453 millimeters, the lowest since 2002. Agrigento is the province with the least rainfall, but the majority of Sicily is experiencing water scarcity. The Region's request and subsequent acquisition of the state of natural disaster have enabled the implementation of rather drastic measures, including the rationing of drinking water in over 200 municipalities, particularly in the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Palermo, and Trapani. In total, over 1.6 million individuals have been subjected to water rationing.
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