Greece in a battle against water shortages
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
The recent fires have shed light on the climate-related challenges imposed on Greece, and the problems may be even more severe than previously thought with various areas experiencing water shortages that is cause for serious concern.
Drought has had a major effect on the nation, leading to water shortages on many islands as well as the steady decline in water levels of the Mornos artificial lake.
A report from Deutsche Welle examined the situation on Greece’s islands, which have resorted to desalination plants as a means of ensuring water for its tourists.
The report put a spotlight on Naxos as a case study (though the problem affects many different islands in the Aegean) with it having gone nine months without rainfall and almost used up all of its water reserves.
It has presented a major issue for the island’s huge agricultural sector and has caused some farmers to give up, according to local Kyriakos Kalogeitonas who has been running a hotel and a campsite in Maragas, in the southwest of the island, since 1987.
“This year in particular, because agricultural production has decreased so dramatically, I am seeing many farmers switching to the tourism sector,” Kalogeitonas tells DW, adding that he has never experienced a drought like this.
The local explained that he is considering buying a private seawater desalination unit as he cannot foresee the situation improving in the long term.
Desalination plants are being used on the island to supply the water for the tourism sector, with Naxos currently boasting four such plants capable of producing 3,600 cubic metres of usable water from sea water in 24 hours.
The neighbouring islands of Koufonisi, Schinoussa, Iraklia and Donousa have also been operating desalination plants for several years, and Naxos mayor Dimitris Lianos told DW there are still limitations to the high-cost technology.
The water produced from the plants can only be used in the surrounding area because they are near the port of Naxos.
“It is a huge problem for us that the water cannot be transported from one place to the next because we do not have the necessary infrastructure,” Lianos said in the report.
Georgios Koutsianas, who checks the pH of the water every hour and monitors the system, added that the plants have great potential but do consume a huge amount of electricity.
They are unfortunately not a solution for agriculture as there is no suitable infrastructure to transport the water inland.
Naxos, known for producing its synonymous potato, is facing a growing crisis on this front with Dimitris Kapounis, the president of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Naxos, already declaring it an emergency.
“We used to produce an average of 6,000 tons. In 2023, it was just 4,000, and in spring 2024, just 1,800…Our supplies will last until early October at the latest. Then there will be no more Naxos potatoes.”
The islands are not the only victim of the water shortage issue with the Mornos artificial lake significantly drying up.
The lake was created in 1979 as a reservoir for the city of Athens and required the willing sacrifice of the village Kallio to establish it.
The water submerged the village and its 80 houses and forced locals to create a new settlement, though many moved to Athens and other parts of the country.
A report from AMNA has highlighted the huge decrease in water levels with residents stating it has dropped more than 35 metres in the last two years.
The phenomenon has led to the buildings of the former village of Kallio emerging from the water, which the new settlement stationed at an altitude of roughly 390 metres have observed.
The lake has gone through similar issues, most notably in 1993 when it was at its lowest, and Apostolis Gerodimos (president of the community of Kallio) explained that a lot of their hopes rest on a wet winter.
“If it does not rain in the winter, the problem will get much bigger,” Gerodimos said.
Konstantinos Koutroumbas, deputy mayor of the municipality of Dorida (which includes Mornos), echoed Gerodimos’ stance and described the scenario of no snow and rainfall this coming winter as a “nightmarish situation”.
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
