Greek Islands Facing Severe Water Crisis Amid Tourist Season

The Greek Islands, known for their beautiful towns, rugged landscapes, and sunny beaches, are experiencing a serious water shortage. Many islands are running low on water, a problem that is getting worse as more tourists arrive and the hot, dry weather continues.

Islands like Leros, Sifnos, parts of Crete, and Kefalonia have declared states of emergency due to water shortages. Years of low rainfall and an unusually hot winter have reduced water levels in reservoirs and underground sources.

Authorities are trying to find solutions, such as turning seawater into drinking water, as millions of tourists are expected to visit the islands in the coming weeks.

In Naxos, a hilly island known for its extensive sandy beaches, water levels in reservoirs have dropped drastically, exposing dry lake beds. The island’s two rain-fed reservoirs now hold around 200,000 cubic meters of water, just a third of what they had last year. Water shortages are a problem in many parts of Greece due to high demand, a lack of sustainable water policies, and climate change.

Extreme weather caused by climate change adds more stress. Last winter was Greece’s warmest since records began in 1960. This year, most months have experienced below-average rainfall, and the Mediterranean Sea has recorded unprecedented high temperatures.

Farmers have also been badly affected. They can no longer depend on their wells and must find water elsewhere, at a higher cost.

Greece is currently experiencing a brutal heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the second heatwave of the summer, following an early one last month, which was the country’s warmest June on record. Multiple wildfires have occurred, and at least six tourists, including British TV presenter and doctor and an American tourist, have died as high temperatures scorched the Greek islands.