Italy declared a state of emergency on Monday in the Po river region in northern Italy, which is suffering its worst drought in 70 years, but accounts for roughly a third of the country's agricultural production.

The dry bed of the Po river in the city of Sermide, in the province of Mantua, Italy, June 28, 2022. (Photo: CFP)

The state of emergency, which will remain in force until at least the end of the year, will give the government extra funds and power to deal with the hot and dry conditions.

The government decree will allow authorities to cut through red tape and take immediate action if necessary, such as rationing water for homes and businesses.

The Po is Italy's longest river, but many stretches have run dry and farmers say the flow is so weak that seawater is seeping inland and destroying crops.

The government said in a statement that the emergency measures would cover lands that bordered the Po and the water basins of the eastern Alps.

More broadly, it also introduced a state of emergency in five northern regions - Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto - earmarking an initial 36.5 million euros ($38 million) of funds to help them tackle the water shortage.

The government added that further measures could be taken in future to deal with the drought which water authorities say is increasingly impacting central Italy after an extremely dry winter and spring followed by an exceptionally hot early summer.

Italian media have reported that Prime Minister Mario Draghi was also considering appointing a commissioner to coordinate the drought response, in a similar way to which the government created a commissioner to oversee the coronavirus crisis.