Following Greece’s earliest heatwave in June, several Greek islands face a dire water shortage crisis. Sifnos, Leros, Sami, and parts of Crete have declared states of emergency as water supplies dwindle. Islanders are urgently calling for government intervention.
Water levels are critically low across Attica, including Athens. Naxos in the South Aegean endure a severe shortage as its main reservoir has dried up, compounded by insufficient rainfall and extreme heat.
Sparse rainfall combined with temperatures soaring up to 40°C have intensified the water crisis. Poor infrastructure and neglected desalination units aggravate the situation. Wildfires exacerbate the issue, as seen in Serifos, where a fire severely damaged the island’s water supply network.
Farmers are heavily impacted, struggling to meet irrigation demands as dams fail. Contaminated wells, infiltrated by seawater, add to their challenges. The busy tourist season strains island resources further.
- Little rainfall
- High temperatures
- Poor infrastructure
- Wildfires destroying water networks
- Tourism increasing water demand
- Construction and swimming pools worsening the shortage
Last month marked the hottest June on record globally, with temperatures 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial times, primarily due to human-caused emissions.
Greek authorities have called for regulated water consumption and enhanced monitoring to tackle the crisis. Some islands have restricted pool usage and imposed strict irrigation limits.
Specific measures include:
- Karpathos and Serifos: Restrictions on swimming pools
- Viannos, Crete: Irrigation limits
- Lipsi: Ban on swimming pool construction
Thassos invests in a desalination plant to convert seawater into drinkable water. Expedited processes are in place for transferring water and securing government funding. Crete plans three new wells, while the navy supplies water to Leros.
Crete, a semi-arid region, receives an average annual rainfall of 900mm. The island’s renewable water resources are estimated at 2,650 million cubic meters annually, while the actual water usage is 485 million cubic meters annually. The dominant water consumer in Crete is agriculture, accounting for 84.5% of the total use. Domestic needs consume 12%, and other uses take up 3.5%.
Significant variations in water availability exist across different regions, especially in coastal, eastern, and southern areas, due to the combined demands of tourism and agriculture. Despite having a relatively high per capita water availability, this figure is slightly below the national average. The high demand for irrigation water in Crete is notable, yet only 31% of the available agricultural land is irrigated.
The island’s main water reservoirs are critically low. Despite their crucial role, these lakes are failing to meet the island’s needs.
- Bramiana Dam: With a capacity of 14,500,000 cubic meters, it held only 9,500,000 cubic meters in March, marking a 34.4% decrease from the previous year.
- Faneromeni Dam: Designed for 18,000,000 cubic meters, it dropped to 3,860,000 cubic meters, a 53% fall from last March.
- Aposelemis Dam: Its reserves decreased from 10,230,000 cubic meters in March 2023 to just 7,350,000 cubic meters this year, a 28% decline.
Faced with severe water shortages, Greek islands implement various restrictive measures to manage dwindling resources. The evolving crisis underscores the urgent need for sustainable water management practices and comprehensive infrastructure improvements to safeguard future water supplies.
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