Seven Greek islands declare drought emergencies as summer begins

Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleMaria Alkalai, 42, walks towards her hotel on a hillside, which offers a 5-euro voucher to guests who skip the daily cleaning service to save water, in Astypalaia, Greece (Reuters)Greece's islands are facing a challenging summer with warnings of hot weather and water shortages, driven by increased tourism and the impacts of climate change. The island of Astypalaia is one of seven in the Aegean Sea that has declared a drought emergency, relying on bottled water and experiencing its second driest season since 2020, despite a wet winter in other parts of Greece. Local authorities on Astypalaia have implemented a water emergency, blocking irrigation for farmers and fast-tracking a temporary desalination plant to conserve dwindling water reserves. The island's main water reservoir holds only a sixth of its capacity, with summer consumption rates indicating it could be depleted within five and a half months. The Greek government has approved €15 million for water infrastructure on nine islands, as experts warn that rising global temperatures could exacerbate water scarcity by 2049. In fullGreece’s tourist islands are running out of water just as they need it the mostMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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