On September 11, the Greek government unveiled a strategic plan to address the country's water crisis. Greece has entered its third year of drought, with severe water shortages exacerbated by recent heatwaves in Attica, the Aegean islands, and eastern Crete. The plan, which envisages EUR 5.9 billion in investments and seven key initiatives, was presented by Environment and Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis together with executives from EYDAP, the utility responsible for managing the water supply and sewage system in Athens.
“Consumption should be moderate, regardless of the availability of water. Measured consumption is a general rule of life”, Skylakakis said about the risk of rationing. “However, should we experience another bad drought, we might consider taking other measures to limit consumption, just to be on the safe side, with the possibility of more extremes than we have experienced. We live in a period of great uncertainty. For now, however, what we are asking for is moderate consumption.”
The Greek investment plan to tackle the water crisis
According to the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, produced by the World Resources Institute, Greece ranks 19th among the nations most affected by water stress. During the press conference, Minister Skylakakis pointed out that over 80 per cent of water consumption is attributed to irrigation. Water losses would also be substantial, with over 35.6 per cent of water unaccounted for. Furthermore, only 42% of the suppliers would submit systematic data, revealing the weaknesses of the current monitoring and control mechanisms.
To support the plan, the government has proposed investments for EUR 5.871 billion, excluding projects managed by EYDAP, Anthens’ water utility. These investments include 2,127 projects: 681 new projects (EUR 2bn) and 1,446 upgrade and replacement projects, costing EUR 3.9bn. The aim of these investments is to ensure an adequate water supply, improve drinking water quality, digitisation and energy savings.
As reported by the ANA-MPA news agency, EYDAP CEO Harry Sachinis explained that additional sources are being explored for Athens' water supply due to the significant decrease in water reserves, which have fallen from 1.1 billion cubic metres in October 2022 to less than 700 million cubic metres today, due to the lack of rainfall. In addition, EYDAP has planned projects worth EUR 400 million over the next five years to optimise the management of the water network.
The 7 measures in the plan
In addition to the plan for the city of Athens presented by EYDAP for the water resilience of Athens - which envisages a mix of additional sources including wells, desalination, wastewater reuse and groundwater recharge - EUR 200 million are planned for wastewater management and desalination, with EUR 150 million earmarked for various regional projects and EUR 50 million for islands. In addition, EUR 80 million will be invested for urgent repairs in water networks and the installation of digital meters. On the other hand, the new Island Decarbonisation Fund will support renewable energy projects with an initial commitment of EUR 166 million, rising to EUR 450 million. A reform of the water sector is also in sight, which will reduce the number of suppliers by 75 per cent to improve efficiency. Finally, new pricing and social protection criteria will be introduced to ensure fair water management, while research by the Athens Academy will assess the impact of climate change on water resources, the results of which are expected in the autumn.
During the presentation of the seven-point plan, Skylakakis enumerated several actions already taken by the ministry to ensure adequate funding for projects aimed at mitigating the effects of drought. This includes securing funding from entities such as the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, the Green Fund, and the Public Investment Programme of Greece. He added that a plan for the management of water basins has been approved, mentioning the establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water Management.
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