The Greek islands of Naxos, Karpathos, and Thasos are facing severe water shortages due to little or no rainfall in the region, impacting agriculture, tourism, and overall water supply.
On Naxos, the largest reservoir has dried up, causing sea water to seep into irrigation wells and harm the island’s potato crop. Authorities are using desalination units to make sea water drinkable for households, hotels, and pools, but farmers still face challenges due to contaminated wells.
Climate change impacts, including higher temperatures, erratic rainfall, and wildfires, are threatening Greece’s biggest economic driver: tourism. With a record number of summer tourists expected, the strain on water supplies has become more critical.
Greece, along with other Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy, is exploring desalination as a solution to back up water supplies, but a shortage of key components and longer building times for desalination units have posed challenges in meeting the high demand during the summer season.
