As Sicily faces one of the worst droughts of the past decades, the University of Catania is organising a series of events as part of EU Green Week 2024. Scientists are taking us on a journey back in time to better understand the impact of climate change on the island.

"Almost all the water consumed by Sicilians comes from underground," explains Professor Sandro Privitera, a geologist at the University of Catania, as we enter one of the many karstic caves of the Catania plain. In these cavities formed in the limestone several million years ago, the cool dampness contrasts with the scorching heat on the surface. Drops of water fall from the stalactites.