ATHENS (Xinhua) – A sunken ghost village at an artificial lake on Crete Island re-emerged in recent months as a symbol of the drought nightmare Greece could face in the coming years.
By 2015, the village was entirely submerged in the water reservoir which was constructed to solve the chronic water shortages of the nearby port of Herakleion and other municipalities along the northern coasts of the popular tourism destination.
This year, as Crete had the driest winter in three decades, according to local scientists, Sfendyli has risen to surface again.
Crete Island was the most affected as a drop in rainfall by average 20-30 per cent was recorded also at other Aegean Sea islands and the central and southern mainland, according to Kostas Lagouvardos, top researcher at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development Research centre of the Athens Observatory.
This year’s numbers are equivalent to the 1989-1990 drought periods.
As the tourist season has started and the Greek tourism industry is heading towards new record arrivals of some 32 million visitors this year, according to the Greek government’s estimates, authorities are considering measures to face the challenge.
Officials like Kritsotakis appear confident that with proper management there will be no particular problems.
Islands with desalination plants are in better position than areas depending on groundwater where authorities step up efforts for water storage works and reduction of water waste.
Funds are gradually distributed also this year.
Since climate change is a common challenge for mankind, Greek officials explore common tactics, such as the water reuse for agricultural irrigation EU Commission is promoting among other measures.