The biggest reservoir on the Greek island of Naxos has dried up, while downstream, sea water has seeped into empty irrigation wells, harming the island's prized potato crop. It comes as the island is set to be flooded with a record number of summer tourists. - REUTERS
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00The Greek island of Naxos' biggest reservoir has been sucked dry, and with the country's
00:07islands set to flood with a record number of summer tourists, the strain on water supplies
00:12has rarely been heavier, officials, farmers and scientists say.
00:19Naxos is a mountainous island with a population of just 20,000, but its beauty and weather
00:25attracts tens of thousands of visitors each day over peak season.
00:30The prospect has hotel owners like Vangelis Katsaris on edge.
00:34In recent years there's been a problem with water shortages, and this year in particular
00:39we are experiencing it more intensely.
00:42Most of Greece has seen little or no rain in months, with the impact of climate change
00:47bringing higher temperatures, erratic rainfall and wildfires.
00:51The island's two reservoirs currently hold a third of last year's levels, the equivalent
00:57of just a few dozen Olympic swimming pools.
01:02Three portable desalination units have been secured to treat seawater to make it safe
01:07to drink.
01:08Mayor Dimitris Lianos says that should cover the shortfall for houses, hotels and pools.
01:18We believe there will be some problems, not daily, but in some areas, some higher regions.
01:26We believe there will not be serious problems such as water cuts in villages.
01:33We believe things will go well and that is why we took all these measures.
01:40Other industries, though, won't be so fortunate.
01:43Farmers won't receive any of the treated water and will have to rely on wells contaminated
01:48by seawater aquifers.
01:50They say this contamination happens when the wells are empty enough for the salty water
01:55to creep in.
01:58It threatens Naxos' famous potatoes, grown by farmers like Stelios Vathrakoukoulis, who
02:04says the use of salty irrigation water will halve his yields.
02:10It's a big disappointment.
02:12We humans did not succeed in foreseeing that climate change was going to knock on our doors
02:17as well as the rest of the world.
02:19And if this continues, may the Virgin Mary help us.
02:23That's all I can say.
02:25Countries across the Mediterranean are looking for ways to back up their water supplies by
02:29using desalination, but suppliers say units were in short supply this summer due to soaring
02:35demand and climate experts fear the worst is yet to come, saying once the effects of
02:40drought become visible, it is too late to take action.