Water is increasingly precious in Greece, where demand often exceeds the supply and climate change is expected to make things worse in the future. But a lot can be done to conserve freshwater and ensure water security into the future, reports National Geographic.
The Greek islands, with their olive trees and whitewashed houses gleaming in the sun amid the Aegean Sea, may be the dream of many tourists, but many visitors are not aware of the value of every drop of water they consume during their stay. In many of the islands, water reserves have to be supplemented by water brought in by tankers.
Although the water supply per capita in Greece is among the best in the Mediterranean, precipitation varies to a great extent across the country, reaching 2,150 mm of rainfall in the mountains in the west and only 400 mm in other regions. Climate change will only exacerbate the situation: by 2050, the country could experience a 18% decrease in precipitation and temperatures could be 2 degrees Celsius warmer, with more frequent and severe droughts.
More than 40% of the water used is withdrawn from groundwater aquifers, in some places, such as Crete and Corinth, faster than it can be recharged, leading to salt intrusion. Water supply is particularly problematic in the islands, with water shortages in the summer due to increased demand for irrigation and large numbers of visitors. While many used to get their water transported from the mainland, in the 1960s some islands started to look into desalination, which is now regarded as a long-term solution.
Desalination technology requires a lot of energy, an obstacle since only some islands are connected to the national power grid. The solution has been the use of wind and solar renewable energies, which make desalination more cost-effective. The country’s desalination capacity is about 200,000 cubic meters per day, and the government intends to expand it using small-scale desalination plants so that each island can have water autonomy.
But mainland Greece also faces water scarcity. In the Athens region, water demand grows at about 6% per year, driven by population growth and the expansion of suburban housing with gardens that need watering. Although action is needed at the national level to address agricultural water use, domestic users ─ 14% of water consumption in Greece ─ also have a role in water conservation. At 177 litres per person per day, Greeks are among the biggest water users in the EU. There is room to increase household water efficiency with water saving fixtures and appliances, as well as individual conservation behaviour.
Greece is the 26th country in the global water stress ranking, according to the WRI’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. While building desalination plants on the islands will provide a solution to ensure freshwater for residents and tourist alike, everyone needs to be aware of the value of precious water resources and join the efforts to conserve them.
