Previously I had mentioned that Sicily was once considered a "Bread Basket", meaning that this once fertile island was an important source for produce for the entire Mediterranean area. No more, having since become substantially arid. 

I had attributed that to climatic changes (weather and rainfall). A colleague, felt that 
deforestation was a more important factor.

Now, with Arid, in the process of becoming Desert, there is no doubt as to the current reason.
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Thanks to Italy-News.com

DROUGHT IN ITALY: ONE-THIRD OF COUNTRY AT RISK OF BECOMING DESERT

According to a report by the INEA (National Institute of Agrarian Economy), one-third of Italy is at risk of becoming a desert due to a lack of rainfall. 

Together with a crumbling water collection and delivery infrastructure this is beginning to have devastating consequences on agriculture and civilians in many of the country's regions, particularly in the South. 

INEA reports that "a lack of water is one of the primary causes of the process of desertification", and the progressive reduction of the richness and fertility of soil is underway in four Regions: Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia, and Basilicata. 

The gap between the availability of water and civil and agrarian needs "cannot be bridged in the short term", and a 20% reduction in rainfall can translate into a 60% reduction of available water. 

The report goes on to say that the reduction in rainfall began in the 1980s, and that during the past decade, Sicily and Sardinia have seen a 60% reduction of water availability. 

As if that weren't enough, the report claims that rainfalls everywhere have become briefer and more intensely concentrated, thus contributing over the course of time to an erosion of the soil.[RAA Note: And devastating floods].