WWF Med chief: Island building frenzy must stop

The director of the WWF’s Mediterranean office Alessio Satta has described the construction onslaught on the Greek islands as the most underestimated problem in the region. 

Speaking to Kathimerini, Satta said the real problem is land consumption and reckless coastal development. 

“All the efforts to reduce water and energy consumption made by the governments of the Mediterranean countries are misleading. They are useful but they mislead the public from the real problem, which is land consumption and reckless coastal development,” he said. 

“There is no other option but to stop building along the coast. We have no choice in the Mediterranean, we will be swallowed by climate change. In addition, the cost of restoring infrastructure, both public and private, will be enormous. It is not sustainable in any way. It is a huge issue, perhaps the most serious, that is absent from the public debate,” he added.