The Po Delta

In this eerie flat land, vast areas of marshland were drained for farming, starting in the late 19th century and continuing right through into the 1960s. Drilling for natural gas, also, proceeded unchecked for a long time, while the commercial extraction of sand and gravel caused subsidence and added to the already high risk of flooding along the river banks. As a matter of fact, the Po often floods the area along its embankments, especially in the stretch between Ferrara and the sea: these temporary wetlands also become important shelters for bird-life.