The scorching temperatures in Greece since June have precipitated a extreme drought and water shortage, significantly within the Athens area. The scenario has been worsened by the inflow of vacationers through the summer season. Temperatures frequently exceeded 40 °C (domestically as much as 44 °C) in June 2024, and the heatwave reveals no indicators of stopping, following the most popular winter on file for the nation. That is probably the most excessive climate since 1960, based on 20 Minutes. Tragically, a number of individuals, together with vacationers and a British tv character, have misplaced their lives as a result of extended heatwave. The soil is dried, and the water reserves are dangerously low.
Athens, a Thirsty Capital
The synthetic lake of Mornos, situated 200 kilometers away and offering water to Attica, the area of the capital Athens, has seen its stage drop by 30% since July in comparison with final yr, based on knowledge collected by the general public operator Eydap. Nonetheless, pumping water from the lake is energy-intensive, whereas the Mornos River naturally flows downhill. There’s a must create a government to develop a complete strategy to managing assets throughout the nation.
Requires Particular person Accountability
The federal government has issued a yellow alert for the traditional metropolis and surrounding areas and is conducting consciousness campaigns amongst its 3.7 million inhabitants. There are rising warnings in Greece in regards to the lowering water reserves through the peak of summer season as a result of extended drought and power mismanagement of water assets. One explicit slogan getting used is “Would you like water? Flip off the faucet.” Moreover, Eydap emphasizes particular person duty by suggesting actions similar to saving as much as 150 liters of water by not filling the tub for a shower and “flip off the faucet” whereas brushing one’s tooth.
Mass Tourism and Poor Administration
The nation’s quite a few paradise islands are additionally affected by mass tourism, because the demand for water in summer season will be “typically 100 occasions higher than in winter,” based on Nikitas Mylopoulos, professor of water assets administration on the College of Thessaly.
He additionally highlights “poor water administration in Greece as a result of an absence of hydraulic constructions” and “frequent waste of land irrigation by farmers.” On the finish of June, the Greek Civil Safety declared the well-known island of Leros “in a state of emergency” for a month, with the city corridor citing malfunctions within the desalination plant as a result of an absence of “upkeep previously.” The island of Sifnos additionally laments “the overconsumption of water for swimming swimming pools and the watering of huge gardens.”
Main Investments to Come
The water shortage difficulty in a number of Greek islands, together with Lefkada within the Ionian Sea and different areas in mainland Greece, has raised issues. A resident and author, Michalis Makropoulos, criticized the native authorities for his or her mismanagement, resulting in water shortage. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Lefkada and introduced a big water provide venture to deal with the island’s wants. A singular plan has been initiated for Athens and its surrounding areas to deal with water shortage, involving roughly 750 million euros in investments.
