Greece’s Water Crisis Deepens

• Severe water level drop in Aposelemis Dam and other key reservoirs.
• High temperatures and low rainfall exacerbate the water crisis.
• 14 municipalities, including five in Crete, declared a state of emergency.
• Immediate need for efficient water management and conservation measures

The scientific community is urgently raising concerns about a severe water shortage across Greece, exacerbated by prolonged high temperatures and reduced rainfall. With the peak of the summer tourist season approaching, the situation becomes even more critical.

Dire Conditions in Multiple Regions

The General Secretariat of Civil Protection has declared 14 municipalities in a state of emergency: five in Crete, Serifos, Sifnos, Leros, Poros, and Spetses, and areas in Corinth, Alexandroupoli, and Xanthi. This year’s rainfall in eastern Greece has plummeted by 40-50%, with Attica experiencing a 45% drop and some parts of Crete seeing a reduction of up to 60%.

Maria Mimikou, an emeritus professor at the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens, explained to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that water scarcity can exist without a drought. Inefficient water consumption and prolonged dry years worsen the situation.

“There is a dire need for improved water management,” says Mrs. Mimikou. “We must use better pumping methods, especially in agricultural irrigation, to increase water use efficiency.”

Striking Satellite Observations Highlight Water Crisis

Satellite data from the BEYOND Operational Unit of the IAADET/EAA shows a significant drop in water levels at the Aposelemis Dam in Crete and the Mornos Lake in Central Greece. For example, the surface area of Mornos Lake has shrunk by 15-20% between 2023 and 2024.

Both figures above illustrate the water level decrease from 2022 to 2024, with a surface area difference of about 4,700 acres for Mornos and 600 acres for Aposelemi.

The levels of the artificial lake Pinios in Ilia are also worryingly low due to the lack of rain and high temperatures. Since 2010, the area of Pinios has decreased by 35-40% compared to its average, a situation further aggravated by continued below-average rainfall and accelerating evaporation rates due to heatwaves.

Stavros Dafis, a physicist-meteorologist, notes that although conditions are not as severe as the 2008 water crisis, they could worsen in the upcoming months unless immediate action is taken. “We are already at a critical point with water reserves in Athens nearing their limit. Urgent measures for water conservation, especially in agriculture, are essential.”

Call for Immediate Action

The ongoing water crisis requires urgent governmental intervention and effective water management strategies. These are necessary for regions across Greece to avoid severe water shortages, threatening daily life and agricultural productivity.

Immediate action is required to ensure sustainable water use and to prevent a repeat of this critical situation in the years to come.

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