Water crisis in Greece

CGTN Europe

The water crisis in Greece is a serious issue the country is facing which has a strong impact on its agriculture.  But other than being a dry year, another reason for the lack of water is the way it’s used - some say that too much goes into the swimming pools of tourism resorts.  #Greece #water

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00:00Millions of tourists visit Greece to enjoy its ancient sites and pristine beaches,

00:05but the country is dealing with frequent droughts,

00:08and there are now concerns over how water is used.

00:12Our correspondent Evangelos Tsipsas reports.

00:16While this dam is empty, these swimming pools are full.

00:22It's a common sight at popular tourist destinations, here on the island of Sifnos.

00:28But this summer it has become a subject of debate due to frequent water shortages.

00:34So many pools are being built. We will discuss this matter at the next council meeting.

00:42For many years, the municipality has not agreed on using water to fill pools.

00:47We consider this a problem, but it is not the only one.

00:51Just a few hundred meters from the city hall lies Narlis Farms, run by George Narlis,

00:57a third-generation farmer. Right now, his farm should be full of different kinds of melons,

01:03but instead it looks like a cemetery for fruit and vegetables.

01:08Pools are not an issue. I've told the mayor that.

01:14A pool uses 5 to 10 tons of water once in the summer.

01:18Conversely, a farm needs 10 tons every day. That's a lot of water.

01:24There should be regulations on how much water we can use for our farms, just like everything else.

01:29We need action now, otherwise farms like mine will start to disappear.

01:35Like many Kiklaudes islands, Sifnos faces water shortages.

01:40It's down to multiple factors, including limited freshwater resources,

01:45seasonal fluctuation in demand caused by tourism, and the impact of climate change.

01:51The island traditionally relies on collecting rainwater, but there has been no rain for months.

01:57As a result, authorities had to transport water in.

02:02Scientists say that if the infrastructure was up to date, then the impact would have been less.

02:09The problem relates to inadequate maintenance and the lack of organization.

02:14We're also facing huge problems with infrastructure.

02:18In many cases, losses in the networks exceed 20%.

02:22The aging of the networks is what causes these problems, so we must immediately focus on this,

02:28particularly in areas where we've fallen behind. We need to take action.

02:35Now, a state of emergency has been declared here on Sifnos, and action is underway.

02:42Desalinization plants have been set up.

02:45There are also campaigns to pursue people to use less water.

02:49But climate experts warn that if radical policies are not taken at a central government level,

02:55then scenes like this dried-up dam could be more of a reality.

03:01Evangelos Tsipsas for CGTN, from the island of Sifnos.

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