Italy's available water resources hit an all-time low in 2022, as a combination of rising temperatures and lower rainfall halved fresh supplies compared to the average of the last 30 years, data showed on Friday.

A drought last year also disrupted Italian olive oil output, which fell to its lowest level since 1990, said ISTAT, the national statistics institute.

Total water supplies were "almost 50% below" the annual average of 133 billion cubic meters (bcm) from 1991 to 2020, ISTAT said in its annual report.

Dry spells have become increasingly common in Italy, while human-induced climate change and rising demand for water have shrunk reservoir volumes globally.

Severe droughts affected about 20% of the country in 2022, ISTAT said, in an extension of a steadily rising trend over the last 70 years.

Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida told Reuters in May that Italy must adjust to the a reality, as "drought is not a (one-off) emergency."