Andros is running short on water, and this time the shortage is no slow-burning worry — it is an immediate crisis. With drought conditions intensifying and wells producing far less than normal, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy moved at the start of August to fast-track emergency measures.
Under the coordination of Deputy Minister Stefanos Gikas, the General Secretariat for the Aegean and Island Policy, together with the Municipality of Andros, has cleared the way for four temporary desalination units. The newest approval — a 600 cubic metre per day installation for Batsi — comes on top of earlier green lights for Korthi, Gavrio, and Chora Andros.
Keeping the System Flowing
Alongside the permits, the government has released €190,000 in emergency funds. The money covers the rental of additional desalination capacity and the drilling of new boreholes, giving the island’s strained supply network some breathing room.
Gikas stressed how quickly the latest permit was processed:
“The Municipality of Andros submitted its request on July 25, and in less than a week, the temporary operating licence for the Batsi unit was signed.”
One Island, Part of a Bigger Picture
The action plan for Andros is only one piece of a broader 2025 strategy to protect island water supplies. Across the Aegean, more than 35 emergency desalination permits have been issued to over 20 islands, paired with funding that already exceeds €20 million for urgent supply needs.
Since January, national funding for water projects has topped €7.5 million, aimed at both immediate fixes and longer-term improvements to island water infrastructure.
Gikas pointed to “exemplary cooperation” between the General Secretariats for the Aegean and Island Policy and for the Natural Environment and Water at the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Andros Mayor Thodoris Sousoudis has also been closely involved in coordinating the island’s response.
The aim, officials say, is to ensure taps keep running now — and to prevent the island from finding itself in the same position when next summer rolls around.
