Lake Garda water level falls sharply amid drought

Lake Garda, a popular tourist destination, is also the country's largest lake - and one that flows into rivers vital for the irrigation of fields in Italy's northeastern regions.
This year's severe drought has forced authorities to open the floodgates in order to sustain the rivers, among them the river Po which flows in the agricultural and industrial heart of the country.
Northern Italy hasn't seen rain for months and this year's snowfall is down by 70%. The parched Po River has already caused billions of euros in losses to farmers who normally rely on Italy's longest river to irrigate their fields and rice paddies.