Southern parts of Greece to face water shortages
Ahead of the tourist season, large parts of southern Greece are faced with the prospect of water shortages this summer due to limited rainfall this past winter.
The drought-affected areas include the islands of Crete, the Cyclades and the southern Dodecanese, and the eastern Peloponnese.
According to Kostas Lagouvardos of the Athens Observatory’s Environmental Research Institute, rainfall in these areas was down by between 20 and 30 percent last winter.
“In these areas the winter was mild with southerly winds, less rainfall and even less snowfall,” he told Kathimerini.
The lack of rainfall was especially pronounced in certain parts of Crete, where it was reduced by up to 75 percent.
According to experts, islands with desalination plants will not face a problem this summer, as opposed to those that rely on groundwater.
