Drought and water shortages are already present.

Greece: Water demand explodes due to tourists

The situation is particularly critical on the Greek islands, where water demand reaches peak levels during the summer. Nikitas Mylopoulos, professor of water resources management at the University of Thessaly, interviewedFrance Press agencyExplain that. Water demand in summer can be a hundred times higher than in winter on some tourist islands. Desalination and drilling infrastructure, although in place, is no longer sufficient to meet growing needs.

The uncontrolled development of tourism is one of the main reasons for this shortage. Particularly affected are the islands of Sifnos, Chios, Lefkada and Corfu, as well as mainland areas such as Macedonia. In Lefkada, for example, the water was cut off for four consecutive days at the end of June 2024. The situation is bound to get worse as summer approaches.

Government calls for water conservation

Faced with this crisis, Greek authorities are increasing their calls for residents to reduce water consumption. Awareness campaigns are broadcast daily on the media and social networks. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. “General operator Eydap recalls, Which classified the Attica region in a yellow alert state while the water reserve decreased by 24% in one year at the end of June 2024. When you don't fill the bathtub for a shower, you save up to 150 litres of water. », particularly emphasizes Eydap, the regional operator, for residents and tourists.

The water crisis is not just the climate's fault

Greece's water crisis is also the result of chronic failures in water resource management. Experts point to the lack of hydraulic work and the high waste when irrigating land by farmers. On the island of Leros, malfunctions in the desalination unit, due to insufficient maintenance, led to the declaration of a state of emergency.

Greece suffered an early heatwave with temperatures reaching 44°C in early June 2024. Water reserves are declining dramatically, as evidenced by the artificial Lake Mornos, the main reservoir in Attica, which has seen its reserves drop by 30% in one year. The General Manager of EDAP, Charalambos Sachinis, announced the implementation of a plan to deal with severe water shortage phenomena, with investments amounting to about 750 million euros.