Water crisis in Greece
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
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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NewsTranscript
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.