2024-07-16 10:51:28
Minimal rainfall, infrastructure, but also the increase in water needs due to tourism have “dried up” water reserves on the Greek islands, some of which are in a state of emergency. The head of the Water Directorate of the Decentralized Administration of Crete, Angeliki Martinou, and the head of the South Aegean Water Directorate, Ilias Nokas, talk to CNN Greece about the problem, as well as some ways to deal with it.
Both Crete and the South Aegean, as well as many other Greek islands, are going through the second hydrological year in a row, during which the rains were minimal.
Up to 50% reduced rainfall
As Ms. Martinou explains, “this year we had the second winter in a row where we had even 50% less rainfall compared to other years”.
The problem, in fact, seems to be greater than the years 2015-2016-2017, when there was a “record” of rain and drought.
As a result, “the required replenishment of the underground aquifers, nor of the dams, was not done, so that we could have the sufficient reserves that will cover the demand of the island”.
At the same time, the reserves were low even in wells and especially in the area of Messara, where a large drop in the level of the underground aquifer is observed, reaching even 30 meters in some places.
How many millimeters of rain are needed to meet the needs?
Explaining how much rain the islands need to survive, Mr. Ilias Nokas notes that “in order for the rainwater to enter the underground aquifer, the soil deficit must first be covered. This soil deficit – approximately – begins to be covered after 250-300 millimeters of rain, so that it can then penetrate into the subsoil and activate the infiltration process.”
“If our rains are on average 400 millimeters, when we have a 50% reduction, the groundwater is not replenished. If the reduction reaches 30%, i.e. approximately 280 millimeters of rain, then a small replenishment is observed,” he adds.
“Last year we had rains, but we had no replenishment,” he says, speaking of the South Aegean islands.
Mentioning the areas that show the biggest water supply problem, Mr. Nokas notes that “those places that do not have desalination units are in a marginal situation. These are many villages of Tinos, Andros, Naxos, Syros but also Patmos, Kalymnos, Serifos and Tilos”.
In the meantime, as Ms. Martinou emphasizes, the Municipalities of Viannos and Phaistos are also in a state of emergency due to water shortages, while it is estimated that others will follow.
Irrigation of the olive groves as a resource depletion factor in Crete
Also, an important role in the depletion of water resources in Crete was played by the large amounts used for the irrigation of the olive producers, as Ms. Martinou adds “since last year was a good year for them and they tried to boost production through of the more frequent irrigation of crops”.
“Because they hoped for a very good next year, they watered even in the winter, especially given that the rains were not so frequent. Thus, the producers were constantly pumping water from the wells, resulting in over-pumping and a drop in the level of these wells,” he explains.
Small water inflows to the islands – Small underground reservoirs
At the same time, as the head of the South Aegean Water Directorate emphasizes, while we have small inflows, that is, edible water, at the same time the underground reservoirs in which the water is stored are small in size.”
Also, the sea can play a negative role many times, as depending on the morphology of the soil, it penetrates the land and degrades the quality of the water.
Hypertourism “feeds” the problem
In addition to climatic factors, however, anthropogenic parameters are also of particular importance.
As Mr. Nokas notes, “the islands have great needs during the summer, a period in which the rains are non-existent. In this light, another parameter is the fact that the needs for water are multiplying”.
“There are islands, like Santorini, where in five years the consumption has doubled.”
A bad hydrological season – second in a row – is coming to aggravate the problem even more.
Farmers will be forced to slaughter their animals
In the meantime, the head of the South Aegean Water Directorate is issuing a warning signal for primary production due to water shortages.
“One reason why agriculture and ranching is expected to decline or even disappear is conditions like the ones we’re experiencing. Each farmer or breeder is invited to find the solution himself. There is no uniform provision in the South Aegean islands for irrigation. Already primary production has begun to shrink to a great extent.”
In other words, we will start to see practices adopted in Sicily, where farmers are forced to slaughter their animals because they have no water to give them.
Measures to deal with the phenomenon
Speaking about the ways that can help to deal with the problem, Ms. Martinou, emphasizes that in Crete, most agencies had early on started taking strict measures regarding irrigation. They oblige farmers to deficit irrigation, i.e. to use a quantity of water per hectare of crops at lower levels, but without endangering the crop.
“The issue is to what extent this policy is implemented,” he clarifies.
At the same time, as she notes, network leaks are also an important element in the effort to deal with the phenomenon.
As he explains, “losses from damaged networks in Crete seem to amount to 40% to 50%.” Excellent quality water, that is, ends up in the soil because a pipe has broken.”
To detect leaks, there are specific network monitoring instruments, the so-called smart water meters. This practice is a timeless policy that should be followed by providers. On this basis, the network of telemetric monitoring stations of underground aquifers is an important tool.
Rotational use of water in areas of Crete
Another measure that has been taken for the management of water reserves this summer, in Crete, some DYEAs are proceeding with the periodic interruption of water supply to their areas of responsibility and will operate cyclically.
This constitutes a forced water wastage measure.
At the same time, it is important, when such a problem emerges, that citizens do not use water recklessly. We don’t need to hose down our vehicle or yards. This year we have to forget about them because this luxury no longer exists.
For his part, Mr. Nokas notes that “the infrastructure suffers in relation to the needs. If one excludes Rhodes, where it has the Gaidouras dam and Kos, it does not appear that there will be a problem of adequacy in the next 20 to 30 years at least, on the rest of the islands the existing infrastructure is not sufficient”.
In its attempt by the state to help the municipalities to deal with the problem, they finance the respective providers to rent desalination units. According to Mr. Noka, however, in this policy there is the following problem: “The needs that the islands have developed are no longer temporary, just as the policy of renting versus buying is temporary.”
“We are not talking about a state of emergency, we are talking about a condition where it has been functioning marginally for years. So leasing desalination is a patch and not a long-term solution to the problem.”
At the same time, however, as he underlines, it is more expensive to rent than to buy a desalination unit.
“Why give 300,000 euros every year to the Municipality of Naxos, when we can spend four times the amount and maintain the infrastructure on the island for many more years?” he wonders, highlighting the importance of buying such units versus renting them.
At the same time, a technical measure that could be taken could be to reduce the water pressure in the network.
Overall, however, as he states, awareness campaigns are needed both in the local community and among tourists, so that they realize that water is limited.
Need for collective projects in irrigation
A “thorn” in the phenomenon, according to the head of the South Aegean Water Directorate, is the fact that measures for farmers and breeders have not been taken in his areas of responsibility.
“In Crete they have collective projects, wells or dams, which allow the workers of the sector to irrigate from collective networks. In the case of the South Aegean, a collective network exists only in the Apollakia region of Rhodes,” he says.
Prevention versus “cure”
“In any case it is important to prevent conditions like the one we are experiencing now” he emphasizes.
“A typical example is neighboring Barcelona, whose dams were at low levels already in the winter. Thus, they took measures already at the end of January,” he adds.
“From our side, we knew it would be a difficult year already from the end of February,” he adds. In this light, it is particularly important, as noted by Mr. Nokas, that a single policy be drawn up and that the local Authorities of all the islands cooperate to deal with the problem in an organized manner.
cnn.gr