Greece is getting ready to welcome an unprecedented number of visitors, all while dealing with a new weather-related challenge. With most regions experiencing minimal rainfall for months, the pressure on water resources has never been greater, according to officials, farmers, and scientists.
The primary reservoir on Naxos, Greece’s largest island, has completely dried up, serving only as a habitat for turtles in its murky shallows. Further downstream, seawater has infiltrated vacant irrigation wells, causing damage to the island’s valuable potato harvest.
Down in Karpathos island, authorities have placed limits on refilling swimming pools, while officials on the northern island of Thasos are looking into installing a desalination unit to purify seawater. “There has been a significant lack of rain throughout the Mediterranean, and on Naxos specifically, our surface reservoirs have run dry,” mentioned Dimitris Lianos, the mayor of the island.
Every year, Greece attracts millions of tourists who come to experience its ancient sites, beautiful beaches, and crystal-clear waters. However, the country’s primary economic source faces challenges due to climate change effects like rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and wildfires.
The water scarcity is severe in Naxos, a mountainous island with a population of 20,000, located in one of the driest regions of the Aegean Sea. Despite being a popular destination, attracting tens of thousands of tourists daily in the summer, the island faces challenges due to limited water resources.
- Naxos’s two reservoirs currently hold 220,000 cubic meters (7.7 million cubic feet) of usable water, which is just a third of last year’s capacity and roughly equivalent to a few dozen Olympic swimming pools.
- To address the water shortage, authorities have acquired three portable desalination units to convert seawater into potable water. Mayor Lianos mentioned that this solution should be adequate to meet the water needs of households, hotels, and pools.
Unfortunately, the farmers on the island will not benefit from the treated water and must rely on wells that have been contaminated by seawater intrusion from aquifers. Farmers explained that this contamination occurs when the wells run low, allowing salty water to seep in.
Other Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy are investigating ways to enhance their water reserves through desalination. Nonetheless, suppliers noted a lack of units this summer due to the increased demand.
