Pooling our scarce resources
The billboard in front of the construction site promotes luxury homes with uninterrupted sea views, each featuring its own private pool. The development will stretch across a lush hillside, just outside a coastal village in the Peloponnese. The pools will be only a few meters away from a stunning and secluded, almost private beach.
Now, you might wonder why anyone would choose to swim in a pool when they’re living by the sea. Because they can. Because they have the money to buy into a dream. Because the luxury of diving into chlorinated water sets them apart from the crowds at public beaches. Even a small pool can become an undeniable status symbol, a way to flaunt wealth in the face of anyone who dares to question it. France leads the way with 3.4 million private pools – one for every 20 residents. Spain follows with 1.35 million, or one for every 35 residents. In Greece, there are no official statistics (which shouldn’t surprise us).
A decade ago, the number of private pools was estimated at 100,000, but that is likely an undercount. We only have fragments of the bigger picture, like data from the Save Paros citizens’ initiative, which reports that this island alone has at least 1,200 pools, consuming 15% of the island’s summer water supply. But how do we get a comprehensive view for the whole country? Many pools are unlicensed, with owners covering them with tarps to avoid detection by satellite images. Indoor pools are also invisible in aerial photographs. How can inspectors from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue assess every villa for violations?
There might be some amusement in all of this, but water scarcity leaves no room for humor. Nearly 3.3 billion people worldwide live in regions that are arid or under severe water stress. By 2050, global water demand is expected to double or even triple, adding another billion people to this total. In the Mediterranean, prolonged periods of above-average temperatures, extended heatwaves and insufficient rainfall are creating drought conditions. The Cyclades are already feeling the impact. The wasteful use of water and the absence of a national water management strategy cannot continue. While only a few swim in their pools, we will all suffer the consequences.
